This is a time of year when holidays and gift-giving and sharing joyful sentiments is expected. Yet, we all know the year 2020, with the pandemic’s second wave upon us, the holiday holidays will look different and feel a little ‘off’ the normal expectation. We all know that holiday gift shopping has gone mostly from looking and searching for the right gift in shops decorated for the season, with music and decorations, to online searching. And planning for hosting and sharing the spirit of the day from grand gatherings of groups of family members and little ones to individuals at home with a scheduled zoom call to family members as a group for safety and adherence to keeping everyone safe and free of potential exposure.

We will end 2020 as we’ve spent 2020 mostly trying to avoid exposure or transfer of the COVID19 virus from one to another—testing more and trying to take prophylactic measures in anticipation of protecting ourselves and loved ones should they become exposed. We need to do what we need to do to ensure safety and protect each other from potential viral infections.

I believe the second wave of this virus will prove worse than the first, but we can protect ourselves with the standard precautions that we heard from the start. Wear your mask, wash your hands, keep your distance, limit exposure to groups and gatherings, get tested if you are going to a gathering (everyone else should also), and take good care of your immune system with rest, good nutrition, and vitamin support.

Anxiety is high and transient during this time. Consider the following to help you through the transient distress when you experience it intermittently:

• Intentional breathing—Although breathing is an automatic function, we don’t think of it when performed intentionally; it helps bring down your blood pressure, pulse, and calm your mind. Please take a deep breath to the count of 4, hold it for the count of 4, and breathe out through your mouth to the count of five. Repeat this for four cycles whenever you feel anxious, and you will see that you can control your distress and be in the moment quiet and peacefully.
• Gratitude; Think of three things you are grateful for and either write them down or recall the situations and events in as much detail as possible. Try to recall the event, feelings, emotions, and entire situation you are grateful for throughout the day when you start to feel overwhelmed or emotionally distressed. This effort, totally silent and in your control, offers you a mental escape and provides your mind with a moment of joy, peace, and good energy to bring you back to the situation at hand in a different state of mind—one of peace and calm.
• Journaling is a key action you can take to release your emotional distress. This technique, done in the evening, offers you an opportunity to write out your emotions, talk about your challenges, frustrations, actions are taken, and successes. After each day, I encourage you to recall and write three gratitude statements. When you write in your journal, you find that after a few days, you look forward to this technique, and you feel more in control and calm about where you are and what is going on in your life. Taking the time to conclude with gratitude before you go to sleep ensures peaceful restless anxiety and interruptions during sleep hours.

Remember, you are not alone. We are all in this together. If you feel alone, reach out to someone, and talk with them. Take on a zoom call with a friend, and laugh and joke about things at hand. When you are helping out, wear your mask and smile or laugh w/ your mask. Maybe even consider some creative projects that provide you with distraction and joyful excitement that you can display. Another opportunity is to share ideas and zoom techniques with others. Things like needlepoint, crocheting, knitting, or check the internet for projects to involve children in making decorations. You can be positive and hopeful with your belief and resilience. Be strong. Be grateful. Realize how much you have and how much you have to look forward to as we turn the corner to 2021.

As we go through December, we close a year like none before with hope and joy for the days ahead.
I wish you peace, joy, and inner strength for the new year of 2021.

namaste