1) Turnoff the news- it’s important to stay informed but it’s also important to not get sucked into the daily toxicity of what’s happening. Our 24hour news cycle means that if we don’t make a conscious effort to keep overwhelming news to a minimum we can be bombarded. Limit TV news to 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night.
2) Get outside- Exercise and endorphins are both needed these days. Plan a walk in the morning or evening, meditate outside someplace peaceful or just taking a bike ride can do wonders!
3) Clean- The car, the fridge, the bathrooms, the pantry. It’s amazing what you can get done when you aren’t exhausted from work every day. Cleaning also gives focus and when you focus on something it makes it harder for those intrusive thoughts to take hold, We also think cleaning and having a organized environment is a form of self care.
4) Digital detox- limit the time on social media. Not being tied to devices is incredibly freeing and healthy.
5) Books- Set aside time to read. It’s fantastic if you schedule time in your day to actually read a book you can do it by a number of minutes or you can do it by a certain number of pages each day. Audio books count and for a little fun it can even be listening to podcasts.
6) Get creative-You have lots of choices for creativity especially when you’re locked inside. Creativity can be expressed with cooking/baking, games, art or with the kids included. Puzzles are making a resurgence and word finder puzzles can be a great distraction.
7) Make sure you connect with people daily-This one is huge! Not just for you but for other people as well. It’s important to set aside time to connect. Pick a time every night call someone maybe it’s someone that you haven’t spoken to you in a very long time but making that connection especially when you’re not able to physically touch people is vital.
8) Make new habits- It takes 21 days to make a habit so that habit can be any of the things above from walking every day to learning a new skill you have the time right now to learn something new.
9) Eat well-This one is probably my favorite! Now is the time to truly plan what you’re eating and to try and as many nutrient dense foods as possible. You have the time to cook because were staying home. So now is the time to plan a menu each week, shop local farmers as much as you can, is there a CSA that does delivery? A local food market that supports makers and small businesses? Get the grocery shopping done have it delivered if possible to cut contact down or do curbside pick up and plan to eat a nutritious breakfast lunch and dinner.
10) Find the laughter- laughter is still out there and in these trying times there are lots of places for you to find it. Watch something funny at the end the night. Humorous reruns of old movies or old sitcom’s are in my cue right now, just make sure that every day you find the laughter because it’s needed now more than ever.
