10 holistic practices to support your lockdown week

As well as being in the middle of a lockdown, it’s also… spring.

Our planet reminds us that she is under no such instruction to stay locked down; colours dance, scents burst forth and an array of growth remind us of how reliable and dependable she is. Everything is visibly connected and on purpose. We are in very uncertain times, yet spring, she is not.

The earth adapts and continues to reshape herself. And so do we.

We become the shape of a thing when we do it — and in the doing of things we define our future. We literally shape ourselves. Speaking to a friend is a practice. Sitting silently is a practice. Lying on a sofa in front of a TV, or texting hunched into a mobile phone is a practice. Gradually, if we practice an action enough, it shapes us. The action will infiltrate our nervous system over time and become embodied. A new ‘practice’ will often be uncomfortable, but this is the jolt of our whole being re-shaped to a new way of living. Change is uncomfortable. Yet if we care deeply enough about the change, we will do it and transform ourselves. In this way we all become ‘masters’ of the things we do: including how we speak, think and hold ourselves…

This is a challenging time. There is disruption, internally and externally. You may have lots of time, have very little, or you may be under pressure and so much more. So here are some resilience practices that will help you during lockdown and beyond:

1. Do that little creative thing: read out loud or silently, paint, draw, write by hand, learn a new thing - and maybe share it if you can. This could be something you’ve been waiting to do for a while. 

2. Give attention to another living thing: a plant, pet, stone, tree - observe how your attention shifts when you slow down and create space. 

3. Give time: reach out to someone who may need you, at least once a day. Notice how you feel after. 

4. Try an intentional practice: centring, prayer, meditation, deep breathing, cleaning, dancing, yoga, painting, writing. Something that gets you into the body and out of your head. 

5. Take time to feel: notice and observe. Observe what is uncomfortable. Pushing feelings away creates stress and anxiety. Journal for 15 minutes each morning. Record a diary. Write or draw it. 

6. Take time to move slowly: try a dusk walk, or watch a sunrise or sunset. Notice how moving affects your breath. Observe Venus in the Western sky. She’s up there each night. Feel yourself as a bridge connecting the earth and the heavens.

7. Cook: try a new recipe or create one each week. Share them with someone. Improvise. See what happens when you try that different ingredient. Play a little. 

8. Plant things: if you can get your hands in the soil, notice how that feels in your body. Plant something indoors. Spend time looking at a neighbour’s garden, drop down to notice what is happening in the whole microcosm of that one leaf, or spider, or dragonfly… 

9. Sing: out loud, in the shower, notice what shifts in you. Pick up an instrument and spend 10 minutes each day with it. Learn a simple song or write a tune. 

10. Schedule some of these things into your week and make a commitment to them. Remind yourself what you care about and why you are practising. 

Do the practice every day/week for 10–15 minutes. Over these weeks you will notice the difference. These may feel like small steps in helping you create change but they will start to form habits of new ways of thinking. A positive mindset can help shape your future and allow you to flourish. To find out more, visit Life Coach Directory.