Reducing stress is crucial for keeping your immune system strong. The need to reduce social interactions during this time of coronavirus offers an excellent opportunity to focus on self-care.
Self-Treatment
Increase your self-treatment time. Devoting 1 hour per day to Reiki self-treatment is ideal; however, any amount of time you can manage is beneficial. If you have a treatment table, climb on and treat yourself as if you are a client—soft music, aromatherapy, dim lighting. Treat yourself before falling asleep at night, prior to getting out of bed in the morning, or anytime during the day when you can be quiet and positioned comfortably.
Feed Your Soul
Focus on activities that give you joy. Now might be a good time to return to a set-aside hobby, engage in a creative expression of art, music, or a physical activity that gives you pleasure. A friend of mine continues private lessons with her voice teacher online. My seven-year-old grandson and I read to each other over FaceTime.
Quiet Time
Take time to simply be. Sit quietly with a cup of tea, meditate, or engage in an activity that induces a meditative state (one of my favorite contemplative activities is flower arranging). Spending time alone in nature can be a highly effective means of decompressing. If you are under a stay-at-home order, you may still be able to sit outside on a porch or balcony. In any case, take care to practice social distancing.
Limit News
Limit the time you spend following your news feed or watching news on television. While I believe it is important to stay informed in order to make informed decisions, it is important not to allow disturbing news to drag you into the pit of despair.
A Little Escapism Does Not Come Amiss
Sometimes it can be valuable to escape for a time into a totally different time/place/world. For me, escape comes through reading a good novel set in another time and place. A local library app is my portal for accessing boundless riches of the public library without leaving my living room. Jacqueline Winspear and Louise Penny’s mystery series are currently my escape of choice.
Eat Well to Be Well
If needed, adjust your diet to eliminate or greatly reduce unhealthy foods and beverages, and focus on consuming those foods that support your optimum health. Eating well supports your immune system and emotional well-being.
Rest
Adequate rest is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. Allow your body enough sleep at night and nap during the daytime when possible. Listen to your body and give it rest when it tells you it is weary.
Give and Receive Reiki!
Reiki sent distantly is as effective as a hands-on session. It is an excellent tool for reducing stress, alleviating pain and discomfort, and activating the body’s healing processes. If you have a Reiki exchange partner, consider connecting through distant Reiki. Or, schedule a distant session with me. An empowering way of responding to the current crisis and reducing your own stress is sending Reiki to the earth and everything in, on, and of Mother Earth with the intention of healing, comfort, and peace.