It’s important to take a step back from the craziness of the pandemic going on and hone in on your personal growth. Focusing mental and physical needs can prove to build long lasting-habits. These 5 steps can help you work towards a happier and healthier life even in the middle of a pandemic.
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While the pandemic brings along many challenges, it also offers opportunities for personal development. Having the time to look inward and identify what works and what doesn’t is a wonderful gift.
Many people reported signs of spiritual awakenings, major mental health breakthroughs and personal growth during the pandemic. The extra time to look inward helped them to discover insights about themselves that were not clearly visible in normal day to day life.
Consequently, these insights provided them with new ways to grow as a person. You may wonder how you can make the most of your personal growth in the pandemic. In this article you’ll discover 5 easy steps to work on yourself during the pandemic.
What Does Personal Growth Look Like In The Pandemic?
At its core, personal growth can be considered as a process of self-improvement where someone seeks to better themselves. Personal growth in the pandemic can be different for every person that undertakes it. Over the past two years, people have sought positive development as a way to cope during the pandemic.
You may wonder why personal growth is important. Positive personal change is for the sole purpose of helping people. It’s important to take a step back from the craziness going on and hone in on their individual needs. Focusing on one’s mental and physical needs can prove to build long-lasting habits. Ultimately, this can help you work towards a happier and healthier life even in the middle of a pandemic.
Where To Begin Your Personal Growth Plans?
In a COVID-free world, a personal growth plan may include lots of professionals. This includes people such as a life coach, personal trainer, or even a therapist. Of course, these resources involve interacting with people which isn’t always an option with the pandemic today.
For highly sensitive people, conditions or disabilities like social anxiety may not permit such interaction. Not to mention, having the means to hire people for one’s personal improvement can be considered a luxury. The fact remains that many people don’t have access to as many resources as they might need.
However, this does not have to stop you from taking action. Here are 5 actionable steps to start your personal growth in the pandemic.
#1 Take A Step Back
Firstly, you need to grab your favorite journal, or means of taking notes, and assess your current situation.
Think about where you are physically, emotionally, and financially in life. How has your mental health been doing? Have you been overwhelmed or weighed down lately?
Another question you could ask yourself is whether you have achieved any goals you have set for yourself. Where are you right now on the path to what you consider success?
Writing down the answers can help you gather and organize your thoughts about what areas of your life need positive growth. This is something you can do as a morning journaling entry, or whenever you find the time. Dedicating 15 minutes to your personal development can make the world of a difference.
Once you know where to focus your attention, you can begin creating the plan for your personal growth during COVID. Reflecting on how you have managed things in the last year, should prepare you for the next step.
#2 Creating a Routine that Works Best for You
Now you have a comprehensive list of aspects you would like to better about yourself. It is time to put into practice a routine for growth. Although it can sometimes seem a little daunting, it might be best to break down the process even more.
Of your ultimate goal, what can you do today that will help you towards achieving it? What can you do this week or month? Alternatively, you can even set quarterly goals for yourself. With his method, you will accomplish more specific tasks throughout the year.
Having these broken-down elements of your end goal will make it easier to incorporate into your everyday life. For example, if your goal is to get in shape or become more active, you can start by going outside and taking a walk today.
Then, once you have pushed yourself out of your comfort zone and into motion, you can schedule maybe 2-3 times a week where you go on more walks or head to the gym. It is very important to keep in mind what is in your capability and to know your personal limits.
Additionally, you should know that it’s okay if your routine isn’t perfect the first time trying it out. What works for someone else might not work for you, however, this is a time to truly trust the process and allow yourself to go through trial and error.
The journey of positive personal growth in the pandemic is not a linear one and may not be easy. Nonetheless, it can prove to be self-fulfilling and worth every effort.
#3 Find Motivation for Every Day
Throughout the pandemic, it has become more difficult for highly sensitive people to complete everyday tasks let alone try to keep up with a new routine. Notably, things like making your bed in the morning or drinking that cup of water seem typically mundane but may require extreme effort and mental focus.
At this stage of the journey, it is up to you to bring the positive part of your personal growth. For starters, a good thing to begin incorporating for increased positivity would be to start enjoying the little things. The idea is to create a list of things that incite the feeling of gratitude in this era. Where the pandemic persists, we must find a way to “stop and smell the roses.”
When you feel overwhelmed, this exercise can come to provide an almost instant sense of peace. Additionally, it can help you remember who or what it is that is motivating you to keep moving forward. This reason can be a loved one or even your morning cup of coffee or tea. There is no wrong reason to staying on track for your self-improvement.
#4 Try Correcting the Negativity
Sometimes, highly sensitive people form the habit of saying negative things to themselves. Alternatively, a corrective habit that can provide personal growth throughout the rest of the pandemic is self-motivation with affirmations.
Whenever you say or think something mean about yourself, respond with a positive reaction. Physically writing or saying positive things out loud can essentially trick your brain into producing the serotonin it needs. For instance, try positive self-talk:
Similarly, changing one’s perspective can have a drastic effect on the mind. During the pandemic, we can get lost in what is going wrong in our lives. As a result, people temporarily forget the daily wins and accomplishments. Essentially, this is a glass half-empty-situation. Or can it be half-empty?
What task have you completed recently? Did you eat today or drink water? Or even remember to feed your pets? These are all considered “easy” things to check off on our to-do lists. However, they are still mini-self-growth points.
Congrats to you for participating in life today, you did it! Even if you didn’t do everything, you did something, and that is what matters on your path of self-improvement.
More ways to be positive during the pandemic are watching a comfortable television show and listening to your favorite music. After being on screens all day, even sitting outside in the sunlight can improve your mood. Remember to take time for yourself amid zoom calls and working from home. You need this personal time for your personal betterment, and you deserve it!
#5 Maintain Personal Growth Habits Post-Pandemic
Eventually, the COVID-19 virus will go away despite some feeling like it’s never-ending. When it does, most people would want the personal habits developed in the pandemic to be maintained. You may already be asking yourself when you will be able to find the time in your normally busier routine. On this last step, there is no need for you to stress.
Putting yourself first will always be a challenge, however, this pandemic has taught people the importance of this task. The pandemic hit highly sensitive people intensely, and the process of recovery was not pretty.
Finding the specific habits that work for an individual’s daily routine is difficult, to say the least. Notably, now more than ever, people are finally starting to become more understanding of the mental struggles in the pandemic.
You can take extended break times, mental health days exist, and the world is looking a little bit brighter. Before getting wrapped up in getting back to what life was like pre-pandemic, acknowledge that you have made it out. When everything is finally over, we will say that we lived through this. We are survivors!
You pushed and fought for your personal growth in the pandemic. You are strong. So if you find yourself doubting your new position in life, hold on to that. Other highly sensitive people are on your side and will continue to fight with you.
