Letter Number 4 - April 5, 2020

Greetings Shift Into Fifth Community-

I'm continuing to think about you....ALL of you! My active clients and those whose lives I have been fortunate enough to touch in one way or another through this magnificent and eclectic Shift Into Fifth coaching community.

As we enter this next week of this challenging, surreal and unprecedented time vis a vis the Coronavirus/Covid-19, I want to touch base and continue to be a source of support and resources for you. While each day of this period has a strangely indistinguishable and repetitive quality to it (think Bill Murray and the Groundhog Day movie), I want to remind you once again that so many of you have done and continue to do the hard work to have the inner tools to stay calm, centered and shift/utilize energy in productive and powerful ways. In other words, you are ready to meet this moment!!!

As we continue to implement lots of common sense practices to keep our families, communities and ourselves safe (wearing a face mask in public, consistent 20 second hand washing, staying home/sheltering in place unless absolutely necessary, greeting others creatively without shaking hands or hugging, social distancing-standing at least 6 feet apart and avoiding all crowded spaces, etc.), I want to strongly remind you to be extra vigilant about your own self-care (hydration, nutrition, sleep, exercise, meditation/mindfulness, practicing self-compassion/kindness/gratitude, laughing/smiling, staying curious (asking who are my teachers today/noting lessons learned-today's takeaways), limiting social media/tv exposure/consumption, actively choosing/ingesting only the thoughts/stories that support your optimal self etc.).

I have been amazed at the tremendous amount of on-line (mostly) free offerings (articles/classes/interviews/podcasts etc.) that have been created and made available to support us all in meeting this challenging and unprecedented moment. Grateful! I will continue to share what I find and encourage you to do the same with others in your circles (including me:-). To that end, I have put all the weekly SIF Community Coronavirus/Covid-19 Care Correspondence on my blog (www.shiftintofifth.com) with an additional (growing) list of resources for all of you to use and to share with others.

This week, I want to share the special Covid-19 ADAPTing Resource Guide from the Kresser Institute for Functional and Evolutionary Medicine (www.kresserinstitute.com):

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/19b2pTHzbTw8oyUB1AruGw8RjIeYNJaUeGx9ypsqt3Rw/mobilebasic

This live Google Doc was shared by a wonderful friend and awesome integrative health coach Elizabeth Jump (grateful!). It's filled with an enormous array of valuable information including guided meditations (breath based, metta etc.), webinar resources, teachings, exercises, podcast episodes etc. to help refocus, reinforce and build on so many of the tools that you already have in your toolbox focused specifically on meeting this Coronavirus/Covid-19 moment. As a bonus, it also features a special section "just for kids" as well as an entire section focused on cultivating joy via the arts with live links to Music and Theatre, Art and Museums and Films/Television programming.

Once again, I want to remind you that I am here for YOU-to support you in any way that I can. If that means a 10 minute call for you to rant/vent, connect or simply get a pep talk for you and/or members of your circles, I am here. Creating more anabolic energy for positive and purposeful change in the world is at the very core of my mission. Supporting YOU is key to that mission.

For those celebrating holidays this week (Passover and Holy Week/Easter), I realize that this will indeed be a most different kind of celebration. In whatever form, may your holidays be meaningful, restorative and peaceful.

Stay Strong. Be Safe. Stay Healthy. Be Kind.

With Gratitude and Purpose,

Valerie

PS. As many of you know, in my work and life, humor is an essential tool for shifting and staying in positive/anabolic energy. So in that spirit, I am sharing a new funny cartoon about what all of our horoscopes probably look like this month:-) plus a cartoon which beautifully illustrates our current 2020 Olympians (our amazing healthcare workers!) And I'm also attaching a helpful chart which vividly illustrates the power of shifting our thoughts during this pandemic. This tool is a helpful reminder that during this time of great uncertainty and disruption, as with all challenging times, we always have the choice of which thoughts/stories we will cultivate and thus, what kind of energy we create and drive.

PPS. Please remember to feel free to share these links and attachments with any and all who you think might benefit. We really are all in this together!