Hello, reader, again. Wow, you had me come to you this week three times! Well correction two times, but the computer randomly posted an old post yesterday.

When I started my blog back in 2013 I had the idea to do at some point in time a section called “mind, body & soul”, which is something that really interests me. My parents raised us kids to appreciate fresh ingredients. Coming from a family of farmers that’s practically our motto. Cook with fresh ingredients, make all your own products, and as my dad would say use lavender on everything. We lavender farmers take our lavender very seriously, and we do use it on a daily basis. Wait, let me say that again. My father uses lavender 300 times a day, and he believes that this is the key to not getting sick with a cold or flu. If you think I am joking, you can smell the man a mile away. People call him the “lavender man” when he travels around to his job sites. If you want to read more about my family’s business, please check us out here.

Okay, this post is obviously about how we can maintain a sort of positiveness throughout this pandemic. The common word I hear with every person the last few weeks is, depression. I know, reader you are probably agreeing that you have heard this word too, right? I can count 10 friends of mine from around the world who expressed their feelings to me saying they feel this way. Hey, and I am raising my hand here as well. I am part of the depressed group, and I am trying my best to keep going forward.

See the good thing amidst all the pandemic s*** is that we are all in this together guys. It may not seem like this because we are currently confided in our own spaces not being able to see loved ones, but we are in this together. Every person on this earth is experiencing this problem at one point during the pandemic.

See, social media should be this place of happiness for us to express ourselves, to meet nice people, to help each other grow, but it became this dark place, especially Instagram. We all have our confined spaces and many of us who own businesses online, rely on using social media. So, personally, for me, I saw all these characters come out in people that were quite frankly odd to say the least.

I think everyone’s attitudes towards the lockdowns just created more unhappy individuals. People were damn right rude for no reason. I experienced this one too many times on Instagram. Oh, and when my account was disabled by Instagram, I learned a million lessons. Okay, enough about the dark web. The real question is, how can we overcome this depression through the pandemic?

6 Steps To Possibly Help You Get Through This Pandemic

The # 1 thing I do first to help myself with depression or anxiety is WORKING OUT!

Guys just 30 minutes of daily workout will really help you. I love walking my fur baby Cosmo, so I make sure he gets 2 walks a day, and then I do my jump rope cardio and abs. I found a really cool Instagram page to follow which will help you and guide you during these tough times. If you want to jump with me, follow one of my favorites here. Also, Zumba is absolutely so fun and amazing. You can get your friends or family involved and dance. This is one of my favorite Zumba teachers.

The second is to meditate! Meditation really helps me because on a daily I am more than likely working on 5 projects at once, and I lose my balance. I need to get back to being grounded, so I find meditation really helpful. The calm app really helps with meditating, so please do check it out.

The third is to eat healthier. I know foodies; I know the pain lol. Surprisingly enough, I have been cutting down my sugar and carbs intake and I do feel so much better. I have had to change my diet due to kidney stone issues, so many diet changes are happening for me lately. You need to find a balance of healthy foods to include in your diet. Add fiber, healthier fats, and reduce your sodium intake. Now of course everyone is different, so what I may suggest to you might not work. It is best to figure out what foods may cause your depression or stress to linger, and what foods can help eliminate that.

The 4th is to get plenty of good rest during the night. This is extremely important, and I think many of us forget that not sleeping will affect our moods. Reduce your tablet, phone, and computer usage at night; that way you can try to get a good night’s sleep. Using the “calm” app will help.

The 5th is to turn on the music and play some positive tunes. Music always seems to lift me up and get me back into the swing of things. Believe it or not, with every Greek recipe post I do on the blog, I am always listening to Greek music. If you want to listen to my Greek playlist, here you go.

The final 6th is to connect with good people. Have a healthy supportive circle. I find that during these times friends are coming and going especially during the presidential debate. So, grab on to the good ones, and don’t let go. Don’t surround yourself with people who only come to you about the negative; you really need the positive from people. So with that being said, if someone keeps saying, “Hey I’m busy or hey I’m down”, that may not be the best person to surround yourself with. Try connecting with people who enjoy the same hobbies as you, and who truly lift your spirits. So, get your cooking pans, call your friends on the other side of the world, and cook together! This is a true story: I legit had a virtual “bouzoukia” night with my friends. Guess what? It made me smile and think that there is positive light coming out of this year soon.

The final thought I want to express is to please be mindful of everyone and their feelings. If someone doesn’t agree with you or your lifestyle, that is fine. Just let them be. Please do wear a mask when you are out, and be careful. We, as an entire world need to follow the rules so we can get back to normality soon.

I hope these simple steps may help you, even if it brings a little smile or happiness to you. I know life has been challenging for all of us, but remember you are not alone.

Keep going, keep cooking, and stay happy.

I dedicate this post to all the people who are struggling, especially my friends who are struggling! Sending you positive light and good vibes.