You may not know me, but I'm Gurumustuk Singh's wife, Dr. Arjan.
He invited me to share a few things with you, that have been a support to me this year, as well as a gift for you at the end of this letter from SikhNet.
Winter is one of my favorite times of year. Where I live it gets cold, but we enjoy sunshine and blue skies, with the occasional snow storm. I love the change of light, the shorter days, the time to get quiet and go deep within.
While we've weathered too-numerous-to-count roller coaster rides this past 9 months, I've found so many ways to keep my heart at peace. I wanted to share some of these with you, as you move into the holiday season and end of 2020.
You may be living in a place where the covid quarantine is strict and you're not able to connect with friends or family during the holidays. Or you are concerned about the future, your job, and the economy. These tips I'm sharing are absolutely free, and you don't have to go too far from your front door to keep your spirits up.
1. Stay connected to inspiring programming. Whatever you're enjoying, remember that it will affect your subconscious mind. If you want to find your happy place, even if it's just for a few hours, find programming that makes you laugh, opens your heart, or inspires you.
2. Laugh everyday. Find opportunities to laugh. Play silly games with your kids, laugh with your family or friends. Laughing will help lighten the tension because you're releasing endorphins into your body. It's pretty impossible to stay sad when you laugh.
3. Get moving. Whether you've got a forest in your backyard or you're in a city apartment, there are ways to get yourself moving. Find a good youtube dance video, jump up and down, climb your stairs, go out for a walk, ice skate, take a bike ride, or a swim - - any movement is good and will help you relax and get out of your head.
4. Enjoy a cup of herbal tea. There are hundreds of plant-based teas on the market. The plant world has an incredible amount of healing to offer. Not only do the plants and flowers lend their healing capabilities, the warmth it brings to your heart and soul is inexplicable.
5. Meditate. When you meditate or do Simran, you're giving yourself time to center your thoughts, slow your breath, and to find your own inner strength and solace. I find meditation, above all else, has saved my life. Literally. We all get so busy and wrapped up in what's going on in the world and forget that we all have our own world within that can be even more intriguing than the outer one.
6. Call someone. Whether it's a friend, family member or a hotline, getting support and being able to connect, laugh, cry, and vent is super important. Not being able to be social is hard for many of us. While I'm sure you love your partner, children and the others that you live with, having an 'outsider' to connect with will give a bigger, different perspective. Or sometimes, they're just going to validate what you're feeling and going through, and that, in itself can take the weight of the world off your shoulders. Make a plan to call or reach out to someone different each day, or each week. Set aside time for it. Connection is everything.
So there you have it! These are my keys to success and to keeping a happy heart, even when things get hard.
But — I have one more gift for you from SikhNet. Please click here to download & print this beautiful 2021 calendar from SikhNet with gorgeous images, quotes and Gurpurbs.
From our family to yours, we wish you chardikala as we go into the New Year. Whether you're on your own or holed up with your household, just know that you're exactly where you're supposed to be, and it's ok.
Dr. Arjan Kaur, Gurumustuk Singh (MrSikhNet) and family
