COVID-19 has altered our societal norms causing added stress that can make everyone a little stir-crazy. During this unexpected time many of us may be experiencing varying forms of anxiety, irritability and nervousness.
If you are feeling this way, I want you to know that this too shall pass. We are strong and passionate beings with natural survival instincts.
Keep on reading if you need inspiration on how to stay sane during this time of COVID-19 isolation.
Start A New Hobbie
Our lives are usually very busy, leaving us with no time on our hands but now it’s feeling quite the opposite. We are mainly confined to our homes and don’t know what to do with all the “extra hours” in our day. A good way to take advantage of this time COVID-19 has given us, is by using it to explore a new hobby.
Do you have an old guitar collecting dust in your attic or maybe an arts and craft box in your closet that you haven’t looked at in years? Learning a new hobby can be stimulating, therapeutic and can help relieve some anxiety you might be feeling from being isolated for long amounts of time.
If music and painting aren’t your thing consider gardening or building. Whether you live in an apartment or a house it’s possible to find ways of starting these types of projects, making them adaptable to your living situation. For example, the spring is the perfect time of year for gardening! If you have ample space in a backyard you can start a big vegetable and fruit garden or if you are more confined you can invest in smaller indoor plants, equally devoting your time, love and affection to.
Read A Book
Have you run out of movies and shows to watch on Netflix yet? We live in the fantastic era of an instantly steaming world but what’s stopping us from escaping our high-tech lives to pick up an actual, page turning book.
Reading a book is a great way to escape your stressors. This might not be a permanent fix to your problems but sometimes when we can’t change an outcome there’s no use harping on it, so we mine as well get lost in another world. The fiction genre can be a fun outlet for this, but if you are looking for ways to actually manage your anxiety, I recommend checking out the self-help and spiritual categories. These books have proven to be very inspiring and can really change your outlook on specific hardships you may be going through.
Learn Through Online Classes
Many people are busy working their 9-5 jobs from home but for those of you who may be furloughed, or unemployed at this moment, time may be of an abundance. With extra time on our hands It can be easy to fall into a slump of constant trips to the kitchen for snacks and watching reruns of our favorite shows on TV. Instead, use this time to your advantage by taking an online class.
Online classes, like Udemy, are great tools for expanding your knowledge and skill set. Udemy offers high quality information for any array of topics, taught by certified and master teachers; all brought to you in the comfort of your home.
One saying I believe to be true is, “If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.”
These new talents you acquire may help you thrive when you return back to your old job or they might even inspire you to change fields altogether.
Write Down Your Feelings
The art of putting ink onto paper, and bring thoughts into reality. Journaling is a great outlet for expressing one’s self. We have on average 50,000 thoughts per day but how many of those thoughts do we actual write down and reflect on. Not nearly enough that’s for sure!
If you are feeling overwhelmed or feel your mind racing a mile a minute, pause, open up that cute new journal you bought and work through your emotions by writing them down on paper.
The art of putting ink onto paper, and bring thoughts into reality. Journaling is a great outlet for expressing one’s self. We have on average 50,000 thoughts per day but how many of those thoughts do we actual write down and reflect on. Not nearly enough that’s for sure!
If you are feeling overwhelmed or feel your mind racing a mile a minute, pause, open up that cute new journal you bought and work through your emotions by writing them down on paper.
Recommended: Why COVID-19 Is The Best Time For Self-Reflection
Social Distance In Nature
Feeling fatigued or uninspired? Keep those pesky negative emotions at bay by going outside, soaking up some vitamin D and breathing in some fresh air. It’s proven that even 15 minutes of sunlight on your skin can boost your mood, immune system and help you sleep better at night. It can be easy to fall into a pattern of not leaving your home during isolation but as long as your social distancing you can go outside.
Make it a priority to at least take a walk around your neighborhood for 15-30mins. On days that you have more time on your hands use it to venture into nature. Take a day trip to somewhere new, explore new parks or hiking grounds.
Taking the time out of our lives to appreciate the natural gifts the earth has blessed us with can help bring peace and serenity into our lives.
Cook A New Recipe
Experiencing cuisines from other cultures is one of my favorite parts about traveling but with COVID-19 keeping us quarantined I suggest cooking these meals right in your own kitchen. Pick a destination you miss traveling to or someplace your looking forward to visiting in the future. Then, find popular recipes from that region on Google or Pinterest. You might even discover a new meal to add to your repertoire when things go back to normal.
If you’re looking to skip out on a trek to the grocery store, another way to go about trying new recipes is by using a trendy meal delivery service. They bring all the fresh ingredients in exact measurements right to your door, so they are ready to cook up simple and quick. My favorite organic food delivery service is Green Chef. They have vegan and vegetarian options as well!
Plan a trip
Instead of being depressed about the trips you can’t go on this month, use this month to plan your trips for next year. Due to our global situation the travel and hospitality sectors have taken a huge hit; because of this you may be able to find lower prices and good deals on flights and hotels.
With COVID-19 keeping us from social events and shopping hopefully you are blessed to be able to use this time to save money. This is a great time to cut expenses, stay away from online shopping, I repeat, stay away from online shopping and use that spare money for future investments, and endeavors such as a trip.
Recommended: How To Safely Prepare For Travel During A Pandemic
Practice meditation
Finally, the last secret to staying sane is to do nothing, and by this, I mean meditate. Meditating regularly has a lot of benefits.
It helps by first relaxing your body and mind, letting you release any tension you may be carrying with you. Our brains and bodies can go into an auto pilot mode where we just keep on pushing non-stop exhausting our bodies and minds. Relax your mind and relax your body. Just focus inward.
Meditation helps you be in the moment. One of the key reasons why we are stressed is because we are either thinking too much about the future or overthinking the past. Meditation brings us into the present moment where we learn to apricate the now. As we bring our attention inward, we are centering our awareness. We become grateful for this present moment and we become less bothered by outside stressors.
It can aid in manifesting positivity into your life. The entire universe is made up of energy and we are all part of that energy. You can focus that energy by meditating. Simply focusing on your breath is one way to go about it. Another in by using the mantra and meditation beads. One of my preferred methods is by using a guided meditation. Some of my favorite meditation guides come from YouTuber Aaron Doughty. He has guides to specifically manifest positivity into your life.
