Today’s goals and daily habits are certainly very different from those that we set
ourselves at the start of this year.

Given the world wide development of the COVID-19 virus now more than ever
we need a new focus to deal with the anxieties and fears created by this virus
and adapt to our new way of living and working.

Based on 10 principles of mindful living, mindfulness of the breath, thoughts
/emotions, stress, body, diet, movement, nutrition, water, rest/renew and joy.

Mindfulness is now being talked about widely as a simple tool to assist us in
dealing with our daily challenges. It guides individuals towards being fully
present in their body, in other words being fully conscious of who you are;
where you are; what you are doing in the present and blocking out everything
else around you.

It is a fact that individuals who engage with mindfulness are better equipped to
deal with the stresses and strains which life brings.

Positive thinking

The first essential mindful principle for all of us to adhere to is positive
thinking.

Our thoughts have real power!

When are thoughts are linked to a feeling i.e. emotionalized they attract like-
minded thoughts towards them?

So we need to begin to become aware of our thoughts and when negative thoughts appear observe them then cancel, clear and delete them.

Replace them with a positive thought, memories of a happy occasion /any good feeling thoughts. Take solace from all of the positive things around you, family, friends and dedication of health care workers and others at this time.

A positive mindset is essential as negative thoughts impact on your stress
levels, your energy, your productivity and achievements.

The importance of sleep is often overlooked. Getting sufficient, high-quality
sleep is absolutely critical for good productivity and also has the benefit of
promoting a healthy immune system.

A good night’s sleep should be 7.5–8 hours of rest.

Create a good structure around your day

A win in the morning is a win for the day!
Having a good morning routine sets you up for a great day, mindful meditation
and exercise yoga, pilates, walking are all great ways to start your day giving
you energy to achieve those tasks and create a positive mindset.
These can all be achieved within 15 minutes every morning and will contribute
to improving your performance and productivity.
Other simple mindful practices include conscious breathing, alternative nostril
breathing (technique tips on Zestivo.com blog) which will produce a sharper
focus and enhanced creativity.
A daily structure should be put in place for you to achieve your daily tasks,
your own and company goals. Some jobs will be task based and others will be
time based so your daily structure needs to reflect this. Stick to a routine as
you will be more likely to get more work done rather than taking an ad hoc
approach. Be clear on your daily priorities and put in place regular breaks
every hour.
It is also important that you take the time to communicate with colleagues
who are also working from home or your supervisor/boss but ideally
communications should be planned.
Contact with other family members at home should be at a minimum during
working hours.
In fairness family contact will probably be unavoidable but ideally there should
be a structured approach except in the case of an emergency.

Boost your immunity

Our immune system is our last line of defence against any illness and
especially this virus. Fuelling your body with the good stuff, immune boosting
life energy foods is essential. Selecting tasty nourishing foods you love and
using them to create mouth-watering meals. Cut down on your sugar intake as

sugar will zap your energies and can interfere with the way your body fights
disease.
You need to put in place a regular eating routine ensuring you are eating a
good breakfast, taking a healthy mid-day break and consuming a nutritious
evening meal.
Drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of water every day will hydrate the body and
increases your energy.
Beware of binge eating, over consumption of fizzy drinks and overeating as
these will drain the bodies energies.

Protect yourself again negativity

While we can all take advantage of today’s amazing technology, we have
access to, we need to keep it in perspective.
Constantly watching and listening to news feeds on the COVID-19 virus
development can push individuals into fear and panic causing stress and
anxiety.
Stress keeps your body and mind trapped in a place of perpetual unrest worry
and unease.
So my advice is to minimize your exposure to news bulletins and reduce your
viewing to once or twice a day.

Togetherness.

No matter what at the end of the day we all need one another.
It is essential that we have daily contact over the phone or skype with friends,
family and work colleagues to keep moral going.
Although physical connections are limited these can be easily substituted with
other forms of interconnectivity to help us through each day.

Day by Day approach

We are living in unprecedented times and the best way to get through it is to
live your life in a more a mindful way by taking each day as it comes .This gives you a sense of control of your daily life and the lives of those around you.