This week this USA Today article popped into my feed and grabbed my attention: “Stressed about the election? You’re not alone. How to stay calm ahead of Nov. 3”
I literally answered it out loud: “Yes I am stressed about the election.” With so much at stake in this election my stress levels have been HIGH.
Are you feeling stressed too?
The first tip in this article to staying calm is: “Master your morning”.
I am not a morning person. My morning routine is coffee. A strong double espresso. Black, no sugar. And yes, don’t talk to me before I have had my coffee.
But it was really hard to argue with: “Everybody has three minutes to get their blood flowing.“ So I said to myself: “Why not, I am going to give it a try”.
I must admit that day 1 was easy. I had my weekly yoga class in the morning. Didn’t need to really change much.
For day 2, I decided the night before (yep, it had to be the night before otherwise not much would have happened in the morning) that I would do at least 3 minutes of yoga and breathing exercises in the morning. While I turned on my espresso machine, I took out my yoga mat and did not 3 but 5 minutes of practicing.
Day 3, today, this blog was already forming in my head. If I am going to write about it I would have to at least continue doing this today. I decided to have my coffee first. I think this is a better option for me. After coffee followed a 25 minute yoga practice. I was feeling energized. Then, in this snowy New England day, while getting all rugged up to take out the trash, I thought maybe I will go for a walk around the block. That turned into a 2 mile walk around the neighborhood. I decided that this new morning routine may be worth sticking with. I am challenging myself to continue with it through the month of November. Hopefully I will create a new habit.
Are you stressed?
What can you change in your daily routine to improve your mental health?
Try something during this challenging week. Start with something small. If it works, try to stick with it. Create a new habit.