I have to admit that initially I had a very hard time with the isolation during this new pandemic- I'm an empath so I feel EVERYTHING! My heart hurts for the ones with the disease and for the ones living in fear. I'm frustrated at the ones who aren't taking the situation seriously and exposing innocent people to this deadly disease. I'm sad for all those who are out of work and have no money to live on and for the ones who can't find what they need at stores while others have stock piles of necessities in their garage.
But after my initial melt-downs with fear and worry, I saw the light burning bright. I now see this challenge as a hard RESET, to expose to all of us what's truly important. It's not the money, the staus or the material things - it's EXPERIENCES. The opportunity to spend time with loved ones and to see this as an opportunity for growth. To figure out what we really want to be doing with our lives and to DO IT! To uncover our true passions and to act on them. To spend time in personal development so we come out of this season better than we went in. To get closer to our source, our God, our faith and lean heavy on the only one who can determine the outcome.
I personally have spent my days working as usual and continuing my workouts (more on that in a minute), as well as spending more time in personal development and prayer, starting a meditation practice and a breath work practice, and using my free time for all the things I normally don't have time for. I don't view any of this as a time of lack but a time of excess- lots of extra time with the one I love, extra time to love on my fur baby Sammie, time to keep up on housecleaning and laundry and time to escape to my favorite retreat, the kitchen. I've had time to work on writing my second cookbook and play around with some new recipes. I've developed some really great habits during this challenge and I'd love to share them with you to make your life, and this season, a little easier. So here we go…
My daily routine:
Every morning before I get out of bed, I stretch while saying my prayers and affirmations. I set the tone for my day to be uplifting and positive.
As soon as I get out of bed, I MAKE IT! This way I know I have accomplished something in the first 2 minutes of my day.
Then I head to the kitchen and drink a full glass of water with a spoonful of apple cider vinegar to help balance my ph levels.
After that, I do breath work with my hubby. We’re currently doing the Wim Hof Method- I encourage you to check it out if you've never heard of it- so many great health benefits.
Now is when the music comes on and stays on all day. On different days I have different moods so it's different genres of music each day.
I eat a healthy breakfast some days or I Intermittent Fast (3 times a week) and either way I have a cup of coffee.
During breakfast (or coffee), I write in my gratitude journal (every day! Count your blessings).
After breakfast I get some form of workout in- I've started doing Pilates which you don't need any equipment for. And there’s lots of great workouts on youtube. I also do a 4-minute Tabata a few times a day. Tabata is a 4-minute high-intensity interval training- 8 sets of fast-paced exercises each performed for 20 seconds on with rest period of 10 seconds; I usually do a combination of jumping jacks, burpees, kicks… anything that gets your heartrate up. Fast and easy and ‘I don’t have time’ is no excuse! EVERYBODY has 4 minutes somewhere in the day! ;)
Then I shower and get ready for my day like any other day and I GET TO WORK.
During my day, I take some time to write and do some personal development.
When 'work' is done, I retreat to my sanctuary- the kitchen, and take my time lovingly preparing dinner, without any rush or worry (with my favorite music cranked up a few notches).
Dinner with my man with lots of deep conversation.
Then it's either reading, writing, personal development videos or the occasional movie
I take my time with my night time routine- I usually take 20 minutes to wind down, no phone, then head to the bathroom to brush and floss my teeth and do my facial routine.
And off to bed! I’ve been really trying to NOT watch TV in bed and I find that I get a better night’s sleep and so does hubby.
And some of my tips and tricks to stay happy and healthy in this time include:
Shower and get dressed every day so you stay in a positive space to live a normal life
This includes putting on jeans every once in a while so you know they still fit; no sitting around in pajamas all day because you're not going in to an office
I've been using my favorite lash serum for long, luscious lashes and I tinted my lashes so there's no need to put on mascara every day (get the serum here)
Do a facial at least once a week (I can tell you all about my favorites if ya want or you can find them here). If you don't have any facial products then use stuff you probably already have in your kitchen: do a scrub with baking soda, a moisturizing mask with honey and tone with apple cider vinegar and water.
Get outside for some fresh air and grounding- stand barefoot on the ground or get your hands in the dirt and do some gardening.
Do your normal workout if you can or start a new one at home; you don't need any fancy equipment - there's all kinds of workout videos online, so there's no excuse not to be in the same shape or better than when this challenge started.
Reach out to friends and family to check in on them. Even if you think they are fine, everyone handles challenges differently and this is a very scary time for many. Being a support to others takes the focus off of ourselves and we can all benefit from this kind of community and connnection.
If you have kids at home, and your job title now includes 'teacher'- go easy on yourself! You didn't sign up to be a teacher and you're not expected to know everything. It's more important during this time that your kids are happy and feel safe so if it means you miss a lesson or two, or take a longer-than-usual break, that's OK. Just do your best and keep harmony in the household.
Give each other space! whether you have a spouse, partner, kids, parents or all of the above in your household, you’ve probably never spent this much time confined to one space with them. If you have a partner that can share the load, arrange for some alone time to clear your head and do the same for your partner- trust me, it is a reset for both of you to come together again in peace and harmony. And be sure to get time away from your kids too, they need it as much as you do. Even if you’re a single parent, set aside some alone time while young ones are napping or ‘me’ time for you and older kids. Everyone will come out a little more refreshed and ready to spend time together again.
Get online and look up some healthy recipes (I have lots of easy ones in my book) and get in the kitchen and COOK! You might just find that this is a great escape for you; maybe you want to bring the kids in to cook with you and make it special family time.
Start new traditions and create beautiful memories; we have no control over what's going on in the world but we DO have control over our own environments. Do what makes you happy!
Get creative! What fun activities can you do with your kids or with your spouse/partner to create memories that will be cherished? I recently scheduled a ‘meeting’ on our joint calendar and set up a fun livingroom picnic for me and hubby with meats and cheese from our favorite deli and a bottle of wine we’ve been saving. We turned on some music and the fireplace, layed out a picnic blanket and had a nice, chill lunch together. What can YOU do to have a little fun?
I’d love to see all the fun, crazy new traditions and memories you’re creating with those closest to you. Please feel free to share with me and with others; let’s give each other some ideas and encouragement during this time. Cheers to your health and happiness!
