Because there are worst things than staying at home and chill, right?
Right
now, a large part of the world is asked to stay home, to help
minimize the Covid-19 infection. In France, we are on week 2 of the
quarantine isolation. For many this is an unprecedented situation,
and it is okay to feel lost, frustrated and worried. However, like
any other negative feelings, I invite you to turn them into
positives. After all, it's not so hard to stay at home, right? When
you know how to make the most of your time.
I
have compiled in this post a handful of things you can do, at home,
to keep yourself busy - but in a positive, rewarding way. You won't
have any time left to worry, trust me!
TAKE UP AN OLD HOBBY OR PASSION BACK
A
lot of us complain that we just "don't have the time."
There is so much we would like to do, or maybe do again, and yet in
our usual routines we are too busy to make time for it. Well, now
that our timetables are a little freed up, it's time to take back an
activity you used to love doing. It could be an old hobby of yours.
Maybe you enjoyed drawing when you were younger: why don't you get
your pencils out again? Or maybe you used to play music, but you're a
bit rusty now: why not practice and play for your loved ones? There
are so many things we love but never find the time for. For me, it's
blogging - yes, blogging! - which has taken a backseat for a long
time now. But thanks to the confinement, I have been working on it a
lot more than usual, even getting a new theme, as you can see!
SPRING CLEAN: DECLUTTER YOUR MESS
Is
there a better time than now for
a spring clean? Decluttering always help to feel at peace with your
surroundings, and when spending so much time at home, sometimes in
small spaces, it is preferable avoid mess. One space that we don't
tend to declutter as much is the kitchen. How many mugs and glasses
do you have that you haven't used in ages? Old pans, cooking tools?
Decluttering this area will make it much more pleasant afterwards to
spend some time cooking fun meals. Sorting out paperwork and
administrative files is also a tedious task that we usually postpone
or not remember to do - so get the shredder out and sort through it
all! I have done this right at the beginning of the quarantine and it
has made me feel very accomplished and in order. Clearing up is great
for the mind!
LEARN ONE NEW THING EVERY DAY
Another
thing we never have time for: learning for fun. Because yes, learning
for fun is great! It gives you more knowledge (and knowledge is
power!), broadens your horizons, and opens up new opportunities for
you, say if you're learning a new language to explore a new country,
or learning a personal skill that would help you in your professional
career eventually. There are many ways to learn at home, and for
free: for languages, the Duolinguo app works well for grasping basics
in a new language. If you want to learn fun facts, have a look on
Netflix - I've started watching a show called The
Mind, Explained which
taught me really interesting stuff about how the brain works, how
dreams work... It's a short series that can easily be watched while
cooking or stretching in the evening. I also starting reading the MET
(Metropolitan Museum of Art) in New York website
for short essays written by professionals about hundreds of different
Art and History topics. My favourite are 19th century European art
and Greek + Roman art. I read one article aloud to my boyfriend every
evening, and we have great fun learning new things that way. Finally,
if you want to step up your game, you can take an online course, or
MOOC. These can last quite a few weeks, but you could kickstart a
course now and build up the habit, which you will hopefully keep once
this whole confinement period is over.
WORK OUT - IF NOT FOR THE BODY, FOR THE MIND
I
appreciate that not everyone wants or feels the need to work out, but
I still wanted to mention this tip because it really does work for
me, and I figure it might work for some of you too! Even if you don't
usually work out, and don't implement it in your 'normal' routine, I
really suggest that you try to exercice at least a couple times a
week, from home. There are so, so many videos on YouTube, for
beginners as well as more advanced audiences, where you could find
your match. Working out will break the sedentary life you're living
right now - think about it: you're not walking around as much, you're
not moving, so make the effort to be active at home. I personally
love Blogilates and Rebecca
Louise who are both great at motivating and have lots of
videos for lots of different fitness levels.
Working
out and moving is also a great way to improve your mind through
endorphins - it is proven that endorphins released during exercise
make you feel happy and improve your wellbeing. So you may want to
start little and not overwhelm yourself, but you should definitely
start now!
PRACTISE ACTIVE SELF-CARE
In
such a sad and worrying situation worldwide, you may feel anxious and
down. This is why self-care is so important at this time: make sure
to look after your mental health, as much as you are looking after
your physical health by staying home and self-isolating. Yoga is a
great help, especially beginner video sessions, because they give you
all the basics, tell you how to breathe properly to relax, and give
you indications as what you can think about, and how you can switch
your mindset, to make the most of the experience and feel good when
you're done. Yoga
with Adriene is great for this. If yoga doesn't work for
you, then do something you really love, and completely space out
about everything else, only to focus on what you are doing and
enjoying in the present moment. It could be cooking or baking,
watching a hilarious show that makes you forget about everything
else, or having a crazy solo dance party in your living room. Listen
to your heart and it will tell you what would make you feel better,
there and then.
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES
Being
stuck at home and having all days resembling one another is not easy.
You will have ups and downs, we all do, and it's normal to not always
feel excited and happy and motivated. This is why it's important to
communicate. Call your friends and family, organise video calls with
your buddies, ask for news of people you know who are spending this
time alone, or may be more vulnerable. Ask how everyone is. You will
find that people share the same feelings as you, and by communicating
with them, telling them how you feel and asking for advice, you will
feel better about your situation. These are strange times, but we are
all in this together. (This is *not* a voluntary High School Musical
reference.) Let's support each other, and remember that if we are home, well and healthy, we should be grateful and share the positives all around!
Are you in confinement right now? How do you spend your days at home?
Lots of love,
Julia x
Lots of love,
Julia x
