Happy Easter to all of you. By now, most of us are in our third week of constantly staying home and adjusting to this temporary lifestyle. I am lucky to have experienced relative confinement before while in the navy; whether in a Baghdad embassy compound for months-on-end, or a small ship with no shore liberty for weeks because the crew was being “disciplined”. It is no fun, that is for sure. Right now, I have my 18-year-old and 22-year-old sons in the same household with my wife and I and we can sometimes all get on each others nerves.
I want to share five things that have kept me sane in the past and present. I hope it may be helpful to you.
First, I have always felt that while alive, I have a purpose that that must be fulfilled – a mission. It reminds me of that quote from the 1980 Blues Brothers movie: “We’re on a mission from God!” In the military, I was always told what the mission of an operation was before doing it and that was the focus no matter what was going on around me. My mission now as a financial planner is to get my clients to their long stated financial goals and not get drawn into the drama of what is currently occurring. Having a mission requires some deep thought and introspection. What is your mission?
This leads into having a spiritual focus. Most of us believe in some higher being and we have religion that helps us to define that relationship. The spiritual focus is beyond our scientific understanding and based on faith but practicing this aspect of our lives may help us to understand something beyond ourselves.
An “Attitude of Gratitude” is a habit I highly recommend you adopt. I challenge you to write down something you are thankful for when you first get up in the morning. It can be anything from being thankful for a good night’s sleep to being thankful for your health, family, and friends. Another idea for gratitude is when you are having a meal with your family; everybody takes a moment to share with each other what they are thankful for. Being thankful is a habit that you must repeat constantly and requires self-discipline. If you can do this for 60-days straight you have accomplished the habit.
Make sure you exercise. Take a walk outside when the weather is beautiful end enjoy nature. Listen to the many bird calls. When it is raining take advantage of any exercise equipment you may have in your home. When it is nice outside do some projects like growing a garden. Get those endorphins flowing!
Finally, enjoy some humor. Watch a comedy TV show or movie, read a funny story, tell a joke. Think of some playful things to say to other members in your household. Enjoy other people’s humor. Laughing and smiling releases neuropeptides including dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. From these neurotransmitters you can have your very own cocktail of feel good chemicals.
These five things should be the focus of what you do each day and not get drawn into the media circus. We all know it is a serious time now, but we can still enjoy our lives. I think focusing on the mission, spirituality, gratitude, keeping active, and appreciating humor will keep you emotionally sound during these challenging times. Feel free to call my office if you want to talk. I want to know you are doing well. Again – Happy Easter!
~ Richard A Balch, CFP, CLU, RICP