Living in a lockdown situation will be unnerving. It will create some situational depression for many of you. Learning and utilizing coping strategies that work will make life, work and interaction with family and friends much easier. Understanding the idea that within your self you are truly free to remain creative, organized and focused is the most important factor to not feeling, “locked down.” There are many ways to stay free of depression symptoms, and remain driven and focused in the now and in your future endeavors. It is as simple as “willing” yourself to do the things you love to do, despite a government order to stay inside. “In my soul I am free” is the mantra to adopt in order to remain autonomous and connected into something much bigger than the world at large.Here are 10 Top Coping Strategies During Difficult Times
1. Write a new goals list, even if you think you have one. Include every single thing that you want to do in life within the next three to five years. Go Big, Fairy Godmother Big!
2. After writing your lofty goals, write three specific ways you will fulfill those goals. For instance if you said build a new business, three specific ways to achieve them would be:
- Write a business plan
- Write a policy and procedures manual
- Figure out the name of the business and buy domain and business license.
3. Next, write a criteria list for what kind of friends you want in your life. Write 30 things that you want in ideal friends. Go Big, Fairy Godmother Big! It is important to have supportive and loving friends in your life. Make sure you ask for unconditional love and regard from those friends during difficult times. Now is a great time to focus on developing healthy, and stabile support systems.
4. Write 30 things you want in an ideal partner. Go Big, Go Fairy Godmother Big! Whether you are in a relationship or not, this is the time to evaluate your partner relationship. Settling for a so, so partner is not ideal. Understanding what you truly want in a partner takes some thought and insight. You owe your current partner and future partners the fact that YOU are clear on what you want in an ideal partner. Nobody is good at guessing what someone else wants out of life.
5. Clear out any emotional clutter that is stirring around inside of you. Any past traumas, or unresolved negative aspects of yourself lead to cluttered decisions and difficult paths in life. Take the time to write a list of all the things in your life that hurt or wounded you. Then, use The Clearing and Healing™ techniques discussed in The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff by Marla Stone, MSW. The strategy to heal and clear out those old “cobwebs,” is worth your time.
6. Declutter any cluttered and sloppy spaces you have in your residence or business offices. Figure out storage solutions that will keep your space looking like a “model home,” or an “ideal” corporate executive space. Living, and working in a clear and uncluttered space lends to the creative processes you want to engage in, while in lock down mode. Read Chapter Three of The Clutter Remedy https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-clutter-remedy-marla-stone/1130791302 to gather ideas on how to get your space looking like something out of a magazine.
7. Gain clarity on what makes you happy. Are you doing things in life that create drudgery? Are you a good delegator when it comes to off-shooting tasks that can be done by others, more capable and or willing? Are you noticing when you are in a rut, and don’t know how to stop the human-in-the-hamster-wheel affect? Recognizing that authentic happiness comes from having a vision of what will make you happy makes the wheel go ’round faster and smoother. Figure out how to have the following things happen for you in life:
A. An engagement in self exploration.
B. An ideal intimate relationship
C. Ideal friends and social network
D. An understanding of your purpose in the world. Why are you here? What are your spiritual beliefs?
E. Accepting yourself as healthy, happy and settled, no matter what state you are in.
8. Love yourself. This is an old adage, but love yourself, and if you don’t, figure out why, and fix the things about yourself that you find unloveable. Do some digging around in uncomfortable memories or thoughts and get some outside help when you hit a wall.
9. Get physically healthier, happier and have more fun. Working on youself with a concerted effort is your responsibility. It is not an overnight phenomenon. Stop blaming others for your own lack of self improvement. Nothing changes unless something changes.
10. Plan places to travel to once lockdown is over, or find out where you can travel to during lockdown, safely. Traveling gives you a different 360 viewpoint of why you’re doing all the other things to improve your life. Traveling is relaxing and inspiring. Going on vacation is as important as all of the above. It is within the reprieve of taking time off that you will notice what you truly want to do with your life with objectivity and a full sense of freedom.
Marla Stone, MSW is the Declutter Your Strategy™ Expert www.i-deal-lifestyle.com
