SELF-RENEWAL AS RESILIENCE BUILDING

"If I watch one more episode of Tiger King, I'll scream!" Sound familiar? Are past the adrenaline-fueled scramble to shelter in place? Has the monotony set in, and you often ask "now what do I do?" Then you are ready to put some systems in place to make the quarantine manageable. It's time to build resilience for the long-haul. My go-to during our cancer quarantine (and now any stressful time) is what I call "self-renewal" activities. Self-renewal is different from self-care. We often think of self-care as mani-pedis or beers with the guys - which can be great and renewing. I want you to think past those cliches. "Self-renewal" is a list of activities that make you feel most at ease, most like yourself, and bring a sense of balance to your day. Self-renewal = resilience building. For some, renewal comes from baking bread, reading a book, organizing the sock drawer... some of mine are taking photos, historical fiction audiobooks and gardening. The action doesn't matter, just the feelings activated. Another way to look at it: healthy options that take you out of the chaos and renew or re-charge your battery. What if skiing, biking, clubbing or museum-hopping are on your list? Ask what are the in-home options? Then go deeper and ask yourself what fills the well at home?

Brainstorm a list of the activities or actions around the house that make you comfortable, peaceful, joyful, curious and supported. Add at least one of those for at least 30 minutes each day to support your resilience and signal to yourself (as in, your nervous system) that you are taking care of YOUR needs. The activities on your list are built-in grounding. Life is going to feel overwhelming. You're grappling with constraints -- something outside of your control has taken over your life. You don't have to learn a new skill, take a class, or watch a video. Your list is full of things that already have deep meaning to you. Activate your own centers of happiness to keep yourself calm(er) and resilient.

#UN #Headquarters #Tour