Well, it’s been about 6 weeks of this very strange, very unique time. Hopefully everyone is staying safe and not going too stir crazy during this lockdown. At this point you’ve hopefully settled into some sort of routine and begun to find ways to make this whole situation a little more enjoyable.
This post won’t be about anything regarding physical health and fitness. This truly is a very strenuous time and it’s okay if you aren’t as on point with your workouts and nutrition. Remember, your health and wellness is an infinite game, and a temporary set-back isn’t a big deal. While good exercise and a general regard to eating well is still definitely encouraged, the point of this isn’t to harp more on the obvious.
Instead, this is to give some ideas on how you can spend your free time to give you a bit of a morale boost. It can be easy to get a little morbid and drained with the current climate, but doing simple, different tasks throughout the week can help you achieve more balance in your day-to-day and perhaps even instill better habits going forward.
CLEAN-UP TIME
Everyone knows what they should do. Clean the apartment, tend to the garden, fix the broken railing, whatever. Some of these tasks can often fall to the wayside with our busy schedules, and understandably so. If it doesn’t have a direct effect on our day-to-day, then chances are those tasks are left on the to-do list for months at a time.
Well...we all know your schedule ain’t as busy right now! Not to say there aren’t important things you have to do such as work, children, etc. But this is the time to do those small (or perhaps big) things to make your living space more comfortable, which, after-all, you are in ALL THE TIME now.
WALKS
Who has the time to go for an hour-long walk normally? Who has the patience? You’d probably just be fidgeting the whole time itching to check your phone. But once again, time is on your side now!
There are probably numerous studies outlining the benefits of going for a nice stroll to clear your head. Walking in this context doesn’t necessarily mean as a form of physical activity, but hey, two birds, one stone. Most people need time to sort out their thoughts, and think through things, which can be hard to do sitting on the same couch you have for the past 7 hours.
We’ve been fortunate that this pandemic has occurred when the weather has been fairly nice and getting warmer by the day, so take advantage of it. Take a few laps around your neighborhood, find a trail you’ve never been on before, see the sights of DC. Just get out, keep your phone away, and let your mind wander and see how much more relaxed and at-ease you feel after it.
AT-HOME NIGHT-OUT
As humans, we are social animals and crave interaction with others. Now while Zoom has capitalized on this tremendously, you can and should find ways to create some form of social activity for yourself.
If you’re fortunate enough to be living with or near friends, family, or a spouse then it’s a little easier. Have a game night every Thursday with a few beers. Order take-out from your favorite restaurant and create an at-home date night. Set aside time a couple times a week for a morning coffee with someone. These might sound obvious but you’d be surprised how they can make the day feel different and help break up the week.
If you aren’t able to physically be next to someone, then lucky for you we live in an age where there are literally an endless number of ways to get a hold of people. FaceTime your buddies and have a happy hour. Create a group Zoom to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. These might not last that long but that might be enough to satisfy that human interaction you are denied of.
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A lot of this stuff seems pretty obvious and hopefully you’re doing some of them already to keep yourselves busy. There really is no magic thing you can do to make this change or seem like it’s not happening.
It seems like the best way to approach this is to acknowledge what’s going on and take all the proper precautions, stay as positive as you can, and do little things throughout the week that you might thank yourself for later or would give you some sort of instant gratification. Whatever the case may be, hopefully this is a nice reminder that while these times are certainly challenging, they can help bring some balance back into our lives with areas we may have been unconsciously neglecting.