Looking after Yourself and Each Other
We acknowledge that the mental wellbeing of our clients, staff, friends and family is so important and perhaps now more so than ever.
The world right now seems very different than the world we were living in before and we are all adjusting to working, exercising and communicating in different ways. Although it is not going to be forever, it can feel scary, uncertain and anxiety provoking. We understand that on top of these feelings, some of our clients may also be dealing with the stress and anxiety of navigating a legal dispute.
RNG Lawyers has established a wellness program which among other things, provides yoga and mindfulness sessions to our staff which have been run by Meditation and Yoga instructor Adriarne De Souza.
Although we can’t run these classes now, we would like to share with you all some tips and tricks that have been generously offered by Adriarne.
What are some symptoms of anxiety and stress?
- Headaches.
- Restless sleeping
- Heart racing
- Feeling tense and on edge
- Heightened emotions.
If we are feeling anxious or stressed, what are 3 things we can do to ease these feelings?
- First thing is to breathe in to your belly. A lot of the time when we are stressed or anxious we hold our breath and breathe shallower and into the top half of our body. Breathing into the belly helps the body to relax.
- The second thing is exercising; even just a stand and stretch or a short 10-15 minute walk.
- The third thing is to reduce your daily caffeine intake (I know we might struggle to cut it out completely!).
- Finally, do at least one thing every day that you enjoy!
What is mindfulness?
- Mindfulness is essentially being fully aware of the present moment. It may help to calm the mind, improve concentration and assist in reducing stress and worry.
Most of us are working from home. How can we practice mindfulness at home?
- If you can, set-up in a space away from your lounge/kitchen/dining areas. This helps to create a distinction between work and home.
- Take regular breaks throughout your day and go for a walk, stretch and move your body.
- Gratitude - think of at least 3 things every day that you are thankful for. You may even like to write a sticky note and put on your desk "What am I grateful for today?"
It is important to keep moving whilst staying isolated. What are 3 things we can do to keep moving at home?
- Go for a walk and get some fresh air. Do an online yoga, Pilates or fitness class - some are only 20 minutes! Do some gentle stretches at your desk every hour - shoulder, neck & head rolls, gentle twists & waist side stretches.
What is a favourite treat that you give or do for yourself when you are feeling anxious or stressed?
At the moment, when I need to take some time-out from work, I make a cup of homemade chai. The process can take up to 10 minutes, and tastes delicious! I am also doing regular video chats with friends and I am doing some more hobbies including gardening, walking or yoga and I have started a new craft hobby of making macramé.
Adriane is offering group or one-to-one virtual meditations through Zoom and can be contacted via her email: adriarne.desouza@gmail.com
Other tools and resources: Insight Timer app, Headspace and Smiling Mind.
We hope this information has been useful to our clients, staff, family and friends. We have a duty to ourselves and to each other to support each other’s mental and physical wellbeing and we are committed to being there for our clients and community during this time, and beyond. We will get through this together.
Meditation and Yoga instructor Adriarne De Souza.