Wow! What happened to our world?! In just a few short weeks in March, everything has changed. Many began 2020 with a sense of optimism and hope having a “2020 Vision” for the coming year. Like you, I had personal and professional goals and expectations for the coming year. Things like weddings, graduations, and travel. I looked forward with anticipation to accomplishing the goals set out in my 2020 vision.

But Covid-19 has turned 2020 plans upside down. Now days are filled with uncertainty about the future, loss of freedom, relationships, and work. Some have lost even more. Instead of thriving we find ourselves in survival mode. Feelings of anxiety, fear, grief and even PTSD have replaced celebration and optimism. Some, who haven’t been as greatly impacted, report feeling survivor’s guilt.

So how can we live in the age of Covid-19? How can we go from simply holding on to making a difference within our home, community, and with those whom we are privileged to work and do life with?

What I have found is that I must attend to cultivating a strong foundation every day. This begins with a nurturing a healthy body, mindset and spirit. I call this Life IQ Living. In January of this year I began to make a concerted effort to set a daily goal to care for my physical, spiritual and mental health. I had no idea Covid-19 was coming but this has been a God-send to give me hope and peace as I step into each day.

Life IQ Living in these three areas means having a good routine for physical movement and healthy eating. Choosing my mental focus each morning. Starting the day in communion with God and pausing throughout the day to acknowledge His presence and promises. There are still the struggles with uncertainty. I have to pause and refocus myself throughout the day. But attending to these three areas has bolstered my living with purpose and hope.

Resources:

• Some resources to consider are the Life IQ Living tracker which I use every day to ensure I attend to my body, mind and spirit. You can download it as a PDF or a Microsoft Word document to edit and personalize it.
• PAUSE App by John Eldridge. This app has been a treasure as it reminds me each day to pause and give “everyone and everything to God” a couple of times each day.

Tips to help you stay out of survival mode:

• Do something fun and find a reason to celebrate every day. We’ve started playing a game after dinner a couple of nights each week.
• Pause to acknowledge something to be thankful for and offer gratitude.
• Give to others – time, a listening ear, a word of encouragement, financially.
• Get creative in connecting to community.

Join the Life IQ Living Weekly Calls:

To help you connect with a vibrant community, I’m hosting Life IQ Living calls. We’ll meet over Zoom every Tuesday at 1pm Eastern April 28 through May 26. Be sure to put it on your calendar or here is the link to join. The calls will last for 30 minutes and focus on the benefits participants are getting from the use of  the Life IQ Living tracker.

While none of knows exactly when life will get back to “normal”, we do have the opportunity and responsibility to show up in life and make every day the best that it can be.

Feel free to share what you are doing to live life fully during the Covid-19 pandemic. Share on the Blog comments section or on my Facebook page.