Are you bored? I was definitely in a state of stir crazy somewhere in between peacefully vegetating and losing my mind. We all feel it and it sucks. Luckily, I have been trying a few new things that have been keeping my body and mind active and in a state of productivity.
This virus is not ideal and is nothing to take lightly, however it remains important to keep a positive outlook and constantly move forward. It is essential to listen to the guidelines given to the public in order to protect the safety of the more susceptible in our society.
It’s time to put our little selfish tendencies aside and just enjoy the break that is given to us. Grieving over the inconveniences is inevitable, but turning that negative emotion into fuel for creating a new routine is extremely important in the process of remaining sane in this whole mess.
Below are some of my quick tips and activities that have been keeping me occupied in my humble abode.
1. Learn or Improve Your Skills on an Instrument
I can guarantee that we all have that guitar, ukulele, or random instrument from the 4th grade collecting dust in our closets right now. The time is now! This is the perfect opportunity to write yourself a little practice schedule and teach yourself the guitar, or any other instrument that you have been putting off. Learning an instrument takes an extreme amount of time and patience so now that you have nowhere to be, you can achieve the next step towards your musical goal!
I love playing the flute and have been since the 4th grade. Music is something that is calming, stress relieving, and therapeutic. It has the capability to clear my head because almost all of the senses are working together harmoniously to produce one tune. Take that next step and push your skills further than they have been before. Whether it be learning a new chord, belting out that high note, or even just getting any sound out is good progress in an activity that uses more parts of the brain than any other.
Ukuchords.com (Great Place to Learn the Ukulele)
Ultimate guitar.com (Take online lessons and learn new songs)
Sheetmusicplus.com (Place to find new music)
Simply Piano App (Place if You Know Nothing About Piano)
2. Healthy Exercise!
Now that the gyms are closed, we can’t just sit on the couch and eat chips all day! It is important to get some fresh air in your yard or do some at home exercises. If you have workout equipment at home, it is time to dust it off and get started! Start slowly with small weights for simple toning of the arms and legs, but I believe that the cardio in self quarantine is most important. When we are at home, we are limiting the amount of steps we take and movement in general. The best part about cardio is that you do not need a machine at all!
There are many YouTube channels that are created specifically to cater to the people who do not own any equipment or weights. Do not forget that the quarantine still allows you to be within 6ft of Mother Nature, so take advantage of the beautiful weather and go for a walk around the block or a nice jog.
Blogilates (My Favorite Workout Channel)
If you are looking for positive vibes and encouragement in your workout journey, check out Blogilates YouTube Channel! The Instagram is currently going through the 14 day Quarantine Challenge which is perfect for everyone stuck at home during this time. It targets many different muscle groups in a Pop-Pilates format and is listed out in a cute calendar! The creator is inspiring to watch and the intensive workouts are guaranteed to see results in no time at all. I am currently doing the challenge, so come along with me on my new fitness journey!
3. Indulge your creative side
When we are rushing from one task to the next, it may be difficult to set time aside for our creative endeavors. Creative projects are normally very time intensive, so it is nice to have some extra down time to let our creativity fly! You may believe that you have no creative talent at all, however just to let off some steam take a paint brush and splatter paint all over a canvas or paper. It doesn’t need to be a masterpiece, but if you can use this time to pick up a new creative hobby such as up-cycling old T-shirts, learning to sew, sketching, or even calligraphy, you may find yourself to be more at peace during your stay cation.Since we never had the time to explore our creativity, maybe you will uncover your secret talent!
Creativity comes in many forms including cooking! Get outside of the box mix and try to make some new creations. There are billions of awesome recipes on the internet, so give one a try or put your own twist onto an old classic. Try not to bake a cake and cookies everyday or else you might have to step up your exercise game.
4. Reorganize your life
I have decided to use my time to completely reorganize my space at home. Since I will be in this space for the next 6 months, I might as well make it something that is relaxing and an overall more productive environment. Use the time to perfect an organization system that works for you! Invest in a new planner or research different ways of organizing your closet space. Pinterest has been a lifesaver during the organization process as it is a place for many specific and niche solutions.
You can physically organize your room, closet, or makeup collection to give you a clutter free feeling (this includes washing your brushes.) Lastly, organize your routines and create a solid skincare regimen that actually works, a new hair care system, or even a morning and nighttime stretching routine! Focus on self care to help with productive functions of your mind, body and soul.
The planner to invest in is the Passion Planner. I have been searching far and wide for a planner that has everything one would need to stay organized at all times. As a slightly scatterbrained individual, it is easy for me to get off track. By having a specific time slot organizer and visual flow chart inserts, I am never without a clear image of my day. If you are a visual person, I highly recommend this product. The ethics of the brand are also very reputable as they help give free Passion Planners to students in need! The style planner I purchased is below...
Get one on Amazon.com: Passion Planner Medium Undated
Get one on Amazon.com: Passion Planner Dated Jan-Dec 2020
5. Family Game Night
This has been keeping my family and I entertained surprisingly well because it is a great way to let loose and forget about all of the craziness. Break out some of the classics like Monopoly, or the Game of Life to help preoccupy your time in a competitive manner. Being stuck in the same house as your entire family for great lengths of time is no easy task, but engaging with them in a fun way at the end of the night will hopefully keep the good vibes rolling.
I know for me, the conversations during the day somehow always loop back to this virus, so getting involved in something completely unrelated is a lot of fun! If you can’t find a good board game, you can always dust off the old Wii or Xbox Kinect to also get some physical activity in your day as a family!
Games I love are Below!
Banagrams Party Edition is one of my favorite word games that you can play with others or alone!
Get it Here on Amazon.com: Bananagrams Party Edition
Wits and Wagers is a game that always gets everyone laughing in a friendly gambling format!
Get it Here on Amazon.com: North Star Games Wits & Wagers Board Game | Party Edition
Quarantining alone? No need to fear because you can always order some tedious puzzles, paint by numbers, or even solitaire to help rid yourself of complete boredom.
Although this situation is not what anyone would want, it is important to use it to your advantage and allow yourself to grow in ways that you may have not had the time for in the past. Since we are all off from school, use this time to kick back and give yourself a break. You can do a social media cleanse or even just dive into some of your favorite books. Most importantly,do what makes you the happiest and let your passions take the wheel for the next two weeks! Taking a rest from it all might just be what you need to breathe happy!
On a more serious note…
If you are quarantined with an abuser or feel unsafe, I encourage you to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for help.
We will get through this together!
With Lots of Love,
April Ann :)
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