Welcome back reader, today is Tuesday. Let’s take a moment for a few mindful breaths and relax into your seat. Let yourself just be present in this moment. I hope everyone has been able to find some time for self-care and has been showing yourself compassion during these trying days. Maybe you had a few moments of mindfulness or practiced expressing gratitude in some way, whatever it was I hope it brought you some peace and helped you recharge. Where we are still in a state of flux in our daily lives, trying to find some sense of normal, we may be finding ourselves feeling things we don’t understand. All of our lives seem to be changing so quickly and I recognize many of you may be feeling there is a void or have a sense of loss for the routine you had in your lives before the days of social distancing or stay at home orders. Many are grieving the loss of family members, friends and careers as our reality changes from moment to moment. This is difficult and tragic for many in our country. I extend my deepest sympathy to all who have experienced such loss during this time. In addition, there is also the loss of the ways we cope with these events and even how we connect during those times. Without any clear way to move forward or advice on how to deal with the feelings, we can feel very confused and stressed.

You are not alone in these feelings.

With all this loss of our “normal” we may find ourselves in a place where we are grieving our “old normal.” We all can think of something we did in our daily lives that we are missing, feel we have loss, or have actually lost during this time. NPR and The New York Times recently published articles about the losses we are all experiencing right now and how we are grieving for many different things in our lives. From our routines at home, school, work, or just our social connections, we all have had to change in some way. All of these things we have done for so long have been altered during this time and like many of you, we are left with so many questions. What are all these feelings I am having? Why do I feel this “heaviness”? How do I navigate this new world? Do others feel this way? And, will this last forever? It’s okay to grieve your loss, whatever that may be during this time. Whether it be a loss of a loved one, a job, your routine or just your piece of mind. Take time to feel your feelings and be compassionate to yourself during this time. The video below author and expert on grief, David Kessler gives explanation of what many of us may be feeling during this time and things we can all do to deal with our grief in a healthy way.

We all are grieving the loss of someone or something during these uncertain times and having compassion for others, as well as yourself is even more important in these times. Remember, we all are in this together! If you are feeling isolated, lonely or stressed, reach out to someone. Whether it be calling a family member, a friend, neighbors, co-workers, a therapist or another agency,  there are people out there who are willing to talk with you and help you process your feelings of grief. Its a very confusing and stressful time for us all right now and we all are trying to do our best to stay positive and be supportive of others. There are also hotlines and ways to text for help if you are feeling you need support. You are not alone.

We all are feeling stressed and overwhelmed in these ever changing times. Doing our best to stay positive and flexible in our lives during this time is important while we all may be grieving the loss of something in our lives. Reaching out and talking about these feelings can be quite helpful and can really help us process. Taking time to practice self-care and compassion with yourself is also important while we are dealing with our grief. Take a break during the day, exercise, read a book or take a hot bath. Do some breathing exercises or meditate, whatever it is you choose to do, do it mindfully and be in the moment. I hope you have found this information helpful to your day in these difficult times. I’ll see you back here tomorrow for more tips, information and videos to helped you find your happy place.

Please remember to wash your hands, stay home if you can and practice social distancing to protect the most vulnerable among us.

I am writing this blog to be helpful to you all out there during this turbulent time and am looking for your feedback. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions and suggestions under the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can subscribe to this blog by clicking on the Subscribe button in the lower right corner. Just enter your email address and receive Self-Care Corner in your inbox every morning! Isn’t that wonderful?

In addition, you can now find Self-Care Corner on Twitter @selfcarecorners, where I will be posting daily affirmations and ways to cope with these changing times. I hope this will help others feel less alone, more relaxed and more empowered to practice self-care.