As we wind down the holiday season, we realize this is the second year that things have not been normal; in fact, it may never be. The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the whole world, with months of lockdown and many uncertainties: losses, grief, anger, and unexpected changes. With many populations vaccinated, hope seemed to have resurrected for many. For some, capping off the year with festivities may be happily embraced, but to others, there are feelings of uncertainty, worry, depression, and stress that still exist; perhaps due to continued pressures of life and work, and the (new) year that will be.

How can we cope then? What are some of the ways that can help us?

Breathe

First, let’s not pressure ourselves much. If we feel overwhelmed, take a breath, take a break. A quick one – perhaps a ten-minute walk, a fresh cup of coffee, or chat with your best friend asking how she/he has been.

Write

Gratitude journal. If you don’t have one, create one. Or continue if you do. The year is coming to a close, what have you been thankful for? Have you been better this year than the last? If you had losses – whether in relationships, or loved ones, or jobs, how did you handle those? If you are anxious, write it down and describe it. Don’t worry, it is just you reading it. It may not make sense, but the motion of writing can be, for some people, healing.

Think positive

Be hopeful. What we have witnessed and experienced these past almost two years have been life-changing. But hey, we are still standing. So let us stand strong, let us stand hopeful. We are counting the days until 2022, so let us look forward to it rather than be anxious about it. Look for the silver lining: an upcoming birthday, seeing loved ones, a career shift, travel (finally!), and many more, for sure.

Think healthy

Think healthy; be healthier. We get those days: stoic, blah, bleak, weak, Scrooge-y. But did you notice that once you get a good meal, your mood changes? Or even a decent cup of freshly-brewed coffee will perk you up. Be conscious of what you eat, because you ARE what you eat. If anything, the pandemic has taught us that taking care of our body is very important. Cut down on junk and packaged food, fast food, oily food, because those weigh you down. Know where your food comes from because what you feed yourself and your family can affect your daily routine.

Be fit with NeeuroFIT

Be FIT. Along with healthy eating is a healthy lifestyle. We all want to be physically and mentally fit, so we can face challenges and disruptions and curveballs and tackle them gracefully. How can we do both physical and mental fitness? Physically, move. You have many choices: yoga, stretching, walking, running, swimming, and many more. Do what suits you, do what you are comfortable doing. As long as you move.

And together with being physically agile, strengthening your cognitive skills can also prepare you for those difficult days at work and at home. Training your brain helps you prevent cognitive decline that may lead to mental illness. How can you then achieve a healthier mind?

NeeuroFIT by Neeuro has been designed to keep our brains healthy so that we can enjoy happy and active lives. The right form of brain training enhances our cognitive skills. With such training courses that NeeuroFIT offers, we can seek to enhance our attention, memory, spatial ability, decision making, and cognitive flexibility skills. These brain training courses are for people of all ages and can be tailored to level up our brain fitness to help us and our loved ones achieve healthier minds.

Give yourself and your loved ones that gift – of being hopeful and healthy, of being fit and strong, so that whatever 2022 may offer will be met with optimism, readiness, and a happy disposition. As they say, bring it on!

Have a very Merry Christmas, and a healthy and happy New Year!