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5 Overlooked Ways to Boost your Resilience during COVID19 Global Crisis

Updated: Oct 6, 2020



1. Sleep

If your sleep pattern seems to be a bit off or funky, there is no need to judge yourself. In order to cope with all the uncertainty, our body utilizes a lot more energy and resources.

It is understandable that we feel more fatigued during this global crisis, due to the increased uncertainty and chaos. Therefore, please allow your body to have plenty of sleep to recover from the "fight or flight" response and allow your body to find its own rhythm in this new reality.


If you are worried that "I have so much work to get done. I don't have enough time to sleep." Please hear me out. You will think more clearly and make better decisions when your system is well-rested. Research has shown that we are more likely to make mistakes when we don't have enough sleep. The error rate with the sleep-deprived groups can increase to 30% according to a new study published by Michigan State University’s Sleep and Learning Lab in 2019.

By prioritizing your sleep, you will save yourself from the extra errors and time to correct them.


Drink a cup of herbal tea as the sun goes down can be helpful. *




My current favorite is the Nighty Night blended herbal tea. It is a nice addition to my sleep ritual.



Allow your body to have plenty of sleep to recover from the "fight or flight" response during the day. Allow your body to find its own rhythm in this new norm.

2. Exercises

We all know that having route exercises is important to maintain physical and mental health. Under the current circumstances, I want to particularly point out the neurochemical basis of aerobic exercise on mental health. Aerobic exercise can reduce the levels of our stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that is the body's natural painkillers, and mood elevators.




3. Smell

Have you ever used essential oil to elevate your mood?

There are many online resources that can provide information on using essential oil for a certain symptom(s).


  • Lavender essential oil is known for its effect to help people feel relaxed and sleep.

  • Despite its benefit for skincare, Orange essential oil may help treat anxiety and aid in some pain relief.

  • Peppermint essential oil can be a treatment for a variety of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea, and other digestive issues, as well as the common cold and headaches.


I have a collection of essential oil in my room. I have created an essential oil collection from reading related literature and consulting friends who have expertise in scent therapy.

When it comes to deciding which essential oil to use for today, my suggestion is to use these online resources as a reference and let your sense/feeling decide which one is the best for you here and now. Because what you need changes daily, even hourly.


I usually pick 2-3 different oil from my collection, smell them, and noticing how my body responds to it, whether I like it, and how it makes me feel.


As I connect with my body more over time, I instantly know which one is the best for me. Sometimes, it is a mixture of multiple oils.

Then it is a great choice to use an aroma diffuser to fill your room with this personalized mixture. I have used this Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser since November 2015 and it still works perfectly today. *



My suggestion is to use these online resources as a reference and let your sense/feeling decide which one is the best for you here and now.


4. Touch

It is easy to overlook our needs for physical touch. Being touch starved — also known as skin hunger or touch deprivation — occurs when a person experiences little to no touch from other living things. This becomes an increasing challenge as the "social distancing" (though I prefer to call it physical distancing) continues.

I encourage you to take a minute to write down 3 ways that you can fulfill your needs for touch.

Here are some prompts.

  • If you are living with someone. Great! Intentionally set up some activities that involve physical contact.

  • If you have a pet. You know what to do. :)

  • If you are living alone, find something that is soothing and soft. For example, a soft blanket, a throw pillow, a fluffy scarf. Add some touch-feely items into your environment.

  • I found that caring for plants works for me.

  • Give yourself a hug!

  • When you make yourself a cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, feel the warmth.

The point is to bring awareness to your needs for touch and physical contact.




5. Sound

Our sound environment affects us unconsciously. It impacts our mood, thinking process, and health.


Unfortunately, sound design is often overlooked in the interior design industry and city planning. It is often not in the majority's top-ten checklist when they look for ways to build a more productive, creative, and energetic life.

According to researches, 65% general public are visual learners, while only 30% are auditory learners and 5% action learners. This fact may have contributed to why the sound pollution is underestimated in the city.


If you are interested to discover how your sound environment is affecting you and identify ways to improve your sound environment in order to boost your productivity, creativity, and energy level, you can book an online consultation with me here.





I hope these tips are helpful for you and bringing a new perspective into growing your resilience and enhancing your life quality!


What is your favorite self-care practice? Tell me in the comment below!



*Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase the products through the links provided in the article, I would receive a commission from Amazon.

Reference

Fenn, K., & Brooks, C. (2019, November 21). Science underestimated dangerous effects of sleep deprivation. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2019/science-underestimated-dangerous-effects-of-sleep-deprivation/


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