Tis the quarantine season! Our minds are all over the place. How should we feel? How do we plan today, or tomorrow, or literally anything? What are we in control of? Mental health professionals are reporting that more people have been struggling with anxiety and depression during quarantine. Change is a concept that we often desire, but fear the uncomfortable nature of putting in the work to see results. Embrace this season; it’s one like no other.
The only thing we actually have control over is our perspective. Thus far, 2020 is all about shifting your focus and ensuring you are properly feeding your mind, body, and soul. Just because we have to create differently doesn’t hinder your opportunity for growth. Don’t postpone your routine because you’re holding on to the past, be open to the present; you can still achieve elevating your mind and body.
Stimulate Your Mind: Meditation and Journaling
Now is the time to direct our attention to the tools we have to help us adapt to our new normal and keep tabs on our mental wellness. Focus on what we can hold ourselves accountable to in this situation. Creating a form of normality helps sustain a healthy mindset, . Take advantage of technology; you have more tools in your hands than you think you do.
There are multiple resources out there to assist you in meditation. Some of my favorites apps are Calm and Abide. Making meditation a piece of your daily life can enhance your mood, reduce your anxiety, and lower your blood pressure.
Life can feel very unstable for all of us right now, and your emotions should not be minimized. Take some time in your day to journal, whether it be through journaling apps like journey.cloud or writing in a physical journal. Jot down five things you’re grateful for daily, revise highlights and where you fall short each day. Writing down how you feel on paper and reading it aloud to yourself allows you to be more reflective while helping you process your emotions.
Keep on Getting Fit
Tune into Gold’s Gym Instagram Live Pilates Mat and Mindful Flow virtual classes. Live at 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 10am on Saturdays. Check out their schedule here. There are excellent home workout apps to be utilized in this season. One of my other favorites is FitOn, which includes yoga, pilates, kickboxing, HIIT workouts, barre, dance classes, etc. The instructors are resourceful and motivating. Please come prepared because you will most likely sweat just as much as you do in the gym. You can design your own workout, playing around with muscle groups, intensity and length.
Follow Embrace yoga studio’s live stream yoga classes on Saturday at 9am and access their pre-recorded yoga classes at any time. Last but not least, tune into Do You Rumble Instagram live workouts daily to burn a quick sweat.
Dive Into Creativity
Time is so expensive. We often talk about how there is not enough time in a day to get everything done. For once, a lot of us have extra time on our side. Dive into those creative juices! There’s a ton of cooking apps you can use to learn new recipes and enhance your cooking skills. We could all use a little treat, so stock up on baking essentials to create your all-time favorite sweet tooth dishes.
If cooking and baking isn’t quite your thing, work on new hairstyles…just because! Try new techniques, dye your hair, learn how to cut your own hair via youtube tutorials? Or, get extra artistic and try painting, sewing a new outfit or knitting project to build those lovely 3D projects. Slow, productive art projects can be a therapeutic stress reliever. Pick up your guitar pic or get behind your favorite instrument and work on improving your musical talents.
For once, the time is yours. No need to compete, just enjoy it leisurely. As working adults, how often do we have an opportunity to do that? Don’t let this time pass you just because it’s not how you envisioned 2020 to go. Learn to adapt. Those who adapt are the people that survive in any storm.
Do you have any more tips on creating and maintaining mental wellness routines during quarantine? Let us know down in the comments.
This article originally published on GREY Journal.
