1. Build Your Physical Strength, Fitness Levels or Flexibility!

Building your physical strength is powerful and health-boosting! Not only is physical strength and flexibility life-affirming and good for our health, but feeling more physically powerful actually helps us feel more empowered and less helpless in life too!

So add some physical activity into your schedule - as little as 15 minutes daily.

There are many options to boost your physical strength and health. Here are some ideas:

• Take up a yoga practice - excellent for strength-building, flexibility - and calm! There are lots of online options. Here is one that shares a 7 day easy yoga challenge with the beautiful Sinéad. http://www.loveyoga.eu/

• Check out Joe Wicks the body coach for free home workouts for everyone, no matter what your fitness levels. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ

• Try some sea swimming if you are near the sea, its so good for the body, mind and spirit.

• 25 Motivating 30 Day Fitness Challenge Ideas https://mycrazygoodlife.com/25-motivating-30-day-fitness-challenges/

REMEMBER: Being stronger = FEELING stronger and more in control! And building your PHYSICAL strength or fitness = REDUCED feelings of helplessness!

2. Learn with Non-Fiction Books:

Use this time at home to educate yourself with non-fiction books. There is so much to be gained - like self-confidence, negotiation skills, health (sleep, nutrition), how to have difficult conversations and much more.

Here are some book ideas to get you thinking:

• The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance---What Women Should Know by Katty Kay(Author), Claire Shipman(Author)

• Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown

• The Happy Pear: Vegan Cooking for Everyone: Over 200 Delicious Recipes That Anyone Can Make

• Negotiation Genius By (author) Deepak Malhotra , By (author) Max Bazerman

• ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear

• Finally, read a memoir! Choose someone you admire, get inspired and learn how other people think - and live their lives.

Reading one book will expand your mind, reading several of these books is going to make you more interesting, help you learn new skills - and maybe even make you more employable too!

3. Gain a New Skill with Online Learning:

There are so many opportunities online to gain a new skill and they're growing by the day!

Grow your personal or creative skills or choose a new skill to learn and take back to work with online training providers like Coursera or Udemy.

Check out Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance - Future Learn

4. Explore your Life Vision:

Rather than watching endless news streams, you can choose to focus on a bigger picture - your future. What do you want from the rest of your life? What would you be disappointed you did NOT do? Where do you envision yourself in 10 years?

Having a clear vision of how you want your life to be is a powerful motivator. A vision helps us work towards our goals, take action and make change. Soon, we'll all be super-busy again - and a vision might be just what you need stay focused!

Here are 4 questions to ponder or journal around to go deeper:

• What do you desire or yearn for in your life?

• How do you want to feel?

• What do you really, really want to be different in your life?

• What's your dream for this lifetime? Imagine you're 90 years old and looking back over your life; what did you do that made you proud and happy?

TIP: Remember to think possibility not probability! Don't limit yourself and your ideas because you don't believe something is likely. Instead believe it's possible - and even if you don't get all the way there, you may get close - or even find something better along the way!

If you would like some help with creating a vision for your life, I’m offering a free life coaching session. Just visit my web site and book a discovery call. https://www.thrivewithmarian.com/bookings

5. Be in the moment:

In THIS moment you are OK. You are safe. Take one day at a time. One hour or even one breath at a time if you need to.

This tip is about being super-present, not thinking ahead or remembering the past, but practicing BEING.

This is a PRACTICE - meaning you will have to do it repeatedly - bringing yourself back to the NOW. Over time it gets easier, and it's a great skill to have to take back to "normal" life.

So when you notice you're worrying, feeling twitchy and want to pick up your device and find out what the "latest" is about the COVID situation, say to yourself, "It's OK. In this moment, I am safe. In this moment I am OK." You can also add or say, "In this moment, my children/husband/family are safe."

6.Start a Journal!

If you've always wanted to journal, now is a good time to start. More than just keeping a record of your day, a journal can help you explore and sift through your feelings and experiences and learn from them. It's a great way to get to know you.

It's great to choose a beautiful notebook, but the most important thing is to just get started. Here are some prompts to get started with:

• Today I am feeling _________. I think this is because __________.

• One big thing I have learned during this crisis is _________.

• One thing that's surprised me recently is _________.

• What matters most to me in life is _________.

• Describe your ideal day _________.

A great friend bought me a fabulous journal last year and as a gift exchange during lock down 2, she sent me another journal. I find I'm at peace when I journal my thoughts. So thank you beautiful Olga for my fabulous gift.

You can find more journal prompts on my web site.

https://www.thrivewithmarian.com/post/journal-prompts

7. Help Others

Helping others is empowering and makes us feel better. Here are a few ways you could help others.

• Check in on a neighbour or friend and see if they need anything. You can do this by phone, or in person, remembering to maintain a 2 metre distance.

• Offer to get someone groceries if you're going.

• Help someone less technically savvy learn how to use Zoom or WhatsApp or whatever they need to get online.

• Reconnect more deeply with friends or relatives who have moved away.

Share what you’ve been doing to help others in the comments below.

8. Live Your Values

When we know your values, we understand what motivates and drives us. When we build our lives around our values, we create a life that is meaningful. Finally, when we align our actions with our values - we're being truly authentic. It's a very satisfying and fulfilling way to live.

And living your values could be the single most important thing any of us can do right now.

Here's an exercise you can do:

• List your values on a piece of paper or in your journal.

• Give each value a score ___ / 10 as to how well you are living that value in your life now (where 0 is not at all and 10 is full-out).

• For the scores that are 8 or more - great!

• For the scores that are 7 or less out of 10, ask yourself, "How could I express this value more in my life right now?" "What could I do differently or approach differently, so that I feel good about how I live this value in my life?"

For example: You have a value of creativity, but you're only managing to 'go through the motions' right now and your score is 4/10. Ask yourself how you could be more creative during this time - whether it's cooking, gardening, art or writing or helping your kids do something creative, or even watching a documentary about someone creative you admire.

9. Grow Something - Or Get an Indoor Flowering Plant!

There is nothing quite like growing something - whether it's flowers, fruits or vegetables that makes us feel good! Even if you live in an apartment and you could grow fresh herbs on your windowsill or balcony to cook with!

• Get some seeds, (a pot and some soil if needed) and get started.

• Many garden centers are still open, or you could order seeds etc. online.

• Follow the instructions - and remember to water it!

So, which of the above ideas resonated with you? The areas I am focusing on are building physical strength by sea swimming daily. I find the sea water helps me live a more peaceful life. I am also growing some plants both indoors and outdoor. I bought a money plant about 2 years ago and its beginning to grow. Also I was gifted with a fabulous lavender plant for the outdoors which I absolutely love. I journal most days and I so love helping others with my new life coaching business.

Believe you have the skills and power to tackle this situation and you will! Choose to make the best of a difficult situation and no matter what - you'll find a way.

This current and strange COVID-19 situation will end. And when it does, you'll be proud you made the effort to learn something - whether it's about yourself, fresh knowledge, a new skill - and who knows what else.

Life Coach Marian Conneely – www.thrivewithmarian.com