As I write this it’s November of 2020. In America we’re in the second surge of COVID-19 and a lot of cities are shutting back down again. The first time was rough and obviously a completely new situation we were all in. Now that it’s our second go around, it’s good to look back and reflect on the good, the bad, and how we can take care of ourselves better this time.
While I write this specifically for COVID-19 times, these are steps and skills you can use anytime you go through something challenging and want to make better choices next time.
For example: maybe you’re newly diagnosed with Diabetes and you’re experiencing your first holiday season with plenty of indulgent foods. If your blood sugars aren’t as good as you hoped, these are the steps you can go through to determine how to make better choices next year!
Let’s go through the 5 steps for learning from past experiences. Then, I’ll share a list of the best tips for surviving a shutdown from my Instagram and Facebook followers!
1. Reflect
Whenever something major in your life happens, or even if it’s just a busier than normal week, it’s a good idea to pause and think back on what happened. Take a pen and a piece of paper and do a brain dump of everything that went really well and what you want to change for next time in case it happens again. This will help you start to narrow down your future goals for if/when this situation comes up again.
2. Praise yourself for what went right!
Before we focus on the challenges and how we want to improve for next time, I KNOW there’s at least one good thing that you did during that tough situation or one good thing that came of it. Celebrate it! It’s hard to predict how we’re going to respond when new situations come up in life. For example, maybe you learned how much of your week you can get back by ordering groceries for pickup instead of doing the shopping yourself. Better yet, maybe you even saved money as a result of not having any hunger-induced impulse buys while at the store!
3. Create a plan for next time
Alright, let’s review that list you made of things that didn’t go so well that last time we had a “Stay At Home” order or other big life change. Be sure to give yourself some grace here, as I mentioned earlier, when we experience things in life for the first time, it’s hard to predict how we’re going to respond. However, if we don’t learn from these mistakes, we’re missing out on future opportunities to improve our health and wellbeing.
Keep in mind, you can’t successfully change everything at once so choose 1-3 items off the list that you want to work on. For example: Late night snacking while watching the news, baking desserts when you’re stressed or bored, not exercising at home when the gym is closed.
4. Get into the details
What has to happen in order to accomplish these things? It’s a great goal to eat less sugar, exercise more, or not eat when you’re stressed, but what does that actually look like in real life for you? The more details the better! This is a lot easier when you write down specific goals and plans for the day.
Some examples of specific goals would be: no watching the news after 8 pm, have herbal tea I can sip on hand if I want something comforting in the evening, try a new healthy dessert recipe twice a month, experiment with a new home exercise program or app 3 times per week (and schedule when you’ll do it!). The more detailed, specific, and scheduled you can make your goal makes it easier to assess in the coming weeks if you’re actually accomplishing your goal.
5. Reevaluate
Your goals are allowed to change. If you wrote down specific goals and gave it your best effort for 2-3 weeks but it’s just not enjoyable or realistic to maintain, go ahead and make adjustments. This is the step that makes your goals sustainable! You’ll be much happier and accomplish so much more when your plan is enjoyable and reaches your intended goal.
Stay at home survival kit – I’m sharing your tips and must-haves!
- Wake up early – it helps to stick to your usual routine as much as possible!
- Cook enough for leftovers-that way you can still eat healthy if you don’t feel like cooking
- Get outside-you can still safely get fresh air, plus it’s good for your mood!
- Online workouts – enjoy those free trials!
- Buy free weights – 2-3 sets is all you need.
- Workout mat – easy to store and highly versatile for yoga, pilates, barre, or just a good stretch.
- Make the classic comfort foods you enjoys but a few healthier recipes too! – lower sugar peppermint mocha anyone??
- Make your home a calming place to be – pick up the clutter, light a candle, and put a cozy throw blanket on the couch
- Keep water nearby – it’s all too easy to just drink coffee all day at home!
Let me know in the comments if I missed one of your best tips or must-haves for staying at home!
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