What a beautiful day it has been. The spring air and bird song has been such a welcome relief after the long wet winter and, lets be honest, the media storm of late. Today I have been reflecting on what a "reasonable" response to the coronavirus is for me. To be honest, I am more concerned about the climate of fear than the virus itself. Yes, fear is a natural response to any threat to our safety or health, but prolonged fear or anxiety weakens the immune system, which clearly is not what we want. Our media take advantage of our fear. Bad news sells papers and taps into the negativity bias of our brains. The continuous feed of "live updates" hooks our mind into wanting to know more, to put an end to the uncertainty and this only feeds our anxiety. So... the first step is to "unhook" our minds from the media. To notice when we get caught scrolling, reading or searching for more. To stop, take a deep breath and find something else to occupy our minds and our hearts... something kinder and more nourishing. Of course the mind will rebel, its magnetism will pull you back to your screen...and so we can begin again. Notice the scrolling, stop, smile, breathe and find something else nourishing to do. Each time we do this, the positive pathway in the brain will become stronger. It helps me to take time off the media every now and then but like everyone else I am not immune to its pull. My nourishing things include movement like yoga, writing and spending time outdoors. Choose what you know helps you relax and feel grounded and happy. Today, I got out into the garden, it felt really great to get my hands in the soil. I also made this juice which was really delicious and full of vitamin C (even my daughter enjoyed it!) and you can find the recipe below.
So the message is to take care of your fear, acknowledge its presence and even listen to what it has to say but also ... notice when you get hooked in media and decide instead to nourish your self-care, mindfulness and kindness. Your body, mind and sanity will thank you for it.
Orla x
Spring Green Juice Recipe
Blitz and enjoy!
2 kiwis
2 celery stalks
1/3 of a cucumber
Handful of spinach
Squeeze of lemon juice
A piece of ginger grated (approx 2cm)
Teaspoon of spirulina if you have some
Water