Let’s face it – most of us are feeling a little Meh about Covid. We’re locking down, closing borders, wearing masks and having our lives changed in subtle and not so subtle ways. And it looks like there’s no end in sight.
Of course we feel a bit Meh sometimes.
So here’s a list of things you can do to help manage the Meh.
They’re not in any order. Some are silly (and fun) and some are serious. Even though I haven’t given you the why of how these work, take it from me that they actually do. And rather than provide links, I’ve left you a little Meh busting challenge to Google and find them yourself.
You’re welcome.
- Laugh. Do as much of this as you can. Whether it’s watching comedians or funny cat videos, doing a Laughter Yoga class (online or in person), reading or sharing jokes, or even just pretending to laugh, you will get a BIG benefit from this.
- Spend time in nature. I can’t tell you how much research says this is incredibly beneficial to our wellbeing. Find somewhere lovely, take your shoes off and dig your toes in. Let the sun shine on your face for a few minutes. Take it all in.
- Do the Inner Smile Meditation. You will definitely find free guided meditations of the Inner Smile online. I guarantee you will feel better after (and during).
- Take your Inner Child on a date. Whether that’s dressing in your best and most colourful clothing and ordering the biggest piece of cake you can find. Or going to the craft shop and choosing lots of things to play with. Or doing something fun and allowing yourself to make a mess. Hanging with your Inner Child can be a big Meh buster.
- Create a Vision Board. Vision boards are visual representations of your dreams for the future. Lots of fun to create and a good daily reminder of the things that are important to you. Op Shops often have old magazines you can chop pictures out of. Or you can print them from Google images. Go wild. Dream BIG.
- Listen to uplifting podcasts or audiobooks. There are so many out there. The good news with these is you can listen to them while you’re doing shitty things like folding washing to make that task better.
- Learn a new thing. I just taught myself to knit so I knit while listening to some audio courses I have. I like doing stuff with my hands – it’s relaxing. I also found a free bellydance course online. So that’s two new, fun things I’m learning. Search around for what you might like to learn.
- Show fondness and admiration. I’ve taken a leaf out of John Gottman’s couples book. He suggests couples look for the things they like and appreciate about their partner and then tell them about it. I suggest doing this with friends and family too. I guarantee you will feel way less Meh when you do this.
- Generate good feelings. In Buddhist practice, there’s a Loving Kindness meditation. So basically you conjure the feelings of Loving Kindness (a mix of compassion, friendliness, good will to others) and make them grow through your focus on them. So why not do it with any good feeling? Start by thinking of a time you felt that particular way and when you get a hint of the feeling, keep it building.
- Perform a random act of kindness. I’ve mentioned these before. They are definitely Meh busters. Even if you don’t get around to actually performing them, try to write a big, long list of ways that you could show kindness to other people.
So I hope that gives you a bit of inspiration in how to manage the Meh of Covid.
