I realized this week that many Tuesday’s have gone by since our last Tuesday Tip. I have no excuse except that I have gotten busy running on the never ending wheel of my daily duties. I simply just forgot to publish a new tip and my stressful new normal has taken control of my days.

So here it is. Here is my tip for this week. Stop to take a pause. Take a breath and soak in your new normal, which can only be described as a really tense action movie with never ending plot twists. Pause. Breath. Reflect.

Watch your favorite movie on a Netflix party, cheers with your friends on a Zoom Meeting, and hug your loved ones either personally or virtually. We need to remember our new normal must include a new way of coping and reflecting.

While doing some research for this tip, I found some interesting Apps that could also help cope with the stresses of our new normal. Here are a few I thought were interesting and I’m planning to try.

• Calm – This one I have used for many years. It is really helpful for breathing exercises and sleep. It even sends you reminders through the day to stop and take a deep breath.
• Personal Zen – This one I have not used, but excited to try. It is supposed to present you with a series of games aimed at stress reduction. This might be good for those of you that enjoy playing games or puzzles.
• GPS for the Soul – This one I have not heard of before, and sounds really interesting. It uses your mobile device to track you heart rate and shows pictures of your loved ones and offers poems and words of encouragement when it notices your heart rate increase. Maybe you techie guys out there might enjoy this one.