Wow, that’s a phrase that I never thought I would write (seriously!?) However, here we all are, whatever our thoughts, beliefs or background, we are all basically in this together. Although we are not (yet) technically in a quarantine, we are all “socially separated”. The only time that I can remember feeling similarly out of sorts was shortly after 9/11. When we went through that time, although certainly dark, I think the mood of the country was different. We identified an enemy (or at least we thought we did). It was something palpable, a real person (or persons) that we were quickly able to blame. Our government was swift to act militarily and for most of us, we were able to get on with our lives in a pretty reasonable time frame. However, this is palpably different. We are dealing with microscopic organisms that we can’t see or control. The governor of New York really made a good comparison this morning. He said it was as if our country was in a snow globe and someone came along and just shook it and shook it. Now we’re all confused and anxious as news and advice swirl around us like so many snowflakes. Every day and hour brings more news, more updates, more recommendations. Our world and lifestyle has rapidly shrunk in a matter of days. What started out as not being able to fly to certain international countries has compressed to not being around more than 10 people in a location. I can only imagine the impact this is having on people who have major events in the works. Proms, graduations, weddings cause a flurry of shopping and self care appointments that suddenly has come to a crashing halt. My heart goes out to you! If we knew with complete certainty that in 14 days our lives can go back to normal, we could breathe easier. But the very nature of a “pandemic” brings so much uncertainty. We just don’t know when things will be *normal*. However, there are things we can do to makes things a little easier during this time of restricted activities and get our minds off of the swirling chaos if only for a little while. Here are just a few suggestions, all of which I’m certainly trying currently to do:
- Catch up on your reading! I have a stack of books that I haven’t yet started. Crime dramas of course…haha!
- Binge Netflix. As many of you know, I’m addicted to foreign crime dramas. I’m currently watching Unit 42 (from France); next up is The Valhalla Murders (from Iceland). Can’t wait to submerge myself in a dark mystery.
- Take a long bath. My favorite way to relax! I have an assortment of bath products and love to decide which ones to mix into my bath. My favorite are bath bombs from Lush, bath salts from Herbivore and just basic Epsom salts that I buy from the drugstore.
- Listen to music. You have a playlist for a reason. Those songs make you feel good. Take time to just close your eyes and start listening! Or crank it up and have your own dance party!
- Tackle an annoying task that you’ve been putting off. I’m currently cleaning out the garage, basement and all closets. Go through your pantry and medicine cabinet. Get rid of expired items. Carve out a little time to go through things section by section. Bag or box the items that can be donated and/or tossed. It’s amazing how much satisfaction you get from getting rid of clutter!
- Re-decorate a room. I’m currently redoing the master bedroom, one piece at a time. This way I don’t feel so overwhelmed by having to schedule a massive cleanout or delivery schedule. Half of the furniture is either here, or on the way to be delivered, new curtains are up and the new ceiling fixture is on the way. It’s so fun to see a project coming together!
- Pull out a recipe that you want to try. With restaurants shutting down, what better time than to try out a new recipe?
- Reconnect with friends. Actually CALL someone on the phone! I’m as guilty as anyone of texting or e-mailing, or just putting off talking to someone because I’m too busy. Just picking up the phone and chatting for an hour with someone is a real pick me up!
- Clean up your social media accounts. I went from 500 friends on Facebook to under 100. If people don’t interact, you don’t need “ghost” followers. Not interested. Along that same line, clean out your photos from your phone or your Insta feed. Some things just need to be deleted, ya know….?
- Clean and clean and clean. Along with organizing, just get cleaning! Disinfecting, polishing, washing, it’s another great way to work in exercise and purge at the same time.
- Online shopping. What else is there to say…..
- If you don’t have a meditation app, GET ONE. I previously did a blog post about my faves. I cannot say enough good things about these.
- Be there for people, especially the older people in your lives, or those that are experiencing a high degree of anxiety.
- PRAY! The power of prayer knows no bounds.
- Things NOT to do: Worry too much; become overly consumed by the news; and constantly checking your retirement accounts! JUST DON’T!
Friends, we will get through this. Lessons will be learned in the process, but if we take care of each other and listen to what medical experts tell us, we can be OK. Be well! XO, Char