2020 has ushered in a new world event that most of us have never experienced, and couldn’t have conjured up in our imagination if we tried. The world is experiencing a heartbreaking loss of its population due to Covid-19. If you’re smart, you’re following the directive to “STAY HOME” so we can stop the spread.
Netflix and chill used to be an ideal way to spend downtime. Now, you look at that couch and screen want to cry. If you’re accustomed to being on the go, occupying yourself day after day in one spot can prove daunting. If you have kids, multiply that struggle by ten. When the idleness sets in, the mental fog and emotional turmoil are soon to follow, so fighting fear and anxiety has become an everyday battle. Finding ways to redirect your thinking can be key to overcoming boredom and anxiety.
How do you find a way to grab some value out of these times?
1. Don’t “live” in negative thoughts for too long.
Practice redirecting your thoughts. Be active about it! Anytime you find yourself ruminating on something not-so-pleasant for more than 5 minutes, such as agonizing over thoughts of who might be impacted in your family, or how your finances might suffer. Get up and DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING! It can be random, or something you’ve already preselected just for these times.
- Tackle a small chore you’ve been procrastinating for months, or read a chapter in your favorite book.
- Walk around your home and look at 5 décor items that you just love.
- Go play with your pet or talk with your loved one for a few minutes (as long as they don’t trigger stress).
- Pick 5-10 ingredients in your pantry, do an internet search for a recipe that might use all of them, and try your hand at making something new.
Find that little spark of joy to get your good vibes going. It works!
2. Move your body!
Are you feeling sluggish and starting to get comfortable with it?
- GET UP and take a walk around the block. Remember to practice social distancing.
- Do 10 minutes of yoga or krav maga (Youtube videos abound on this)
- Take advantage of the numerous fitness apps that supply workouts that you can do from the safety of your living room. One of my favorites is FitOn.
- Many fitness gurus are going live on Instagram and Facebook with their workouts. Tune and follow along.
3. Focus on improving career-boosting skills.
Wondering about your career, post-COVID-19? It truly is a no-brainer; getting a new professional skill is always a good idea.
- Numerous companies are offering FREE training. If you want to apply it professionally, select the training with care (even if it’s free, time is money, so use it wisely). Choose something that would be valuable from a practical application standpoint.
- If you never finished that degree or have thought of pursuing a new one, now is the time to enroll and take online classes. Most colleges and universities now offer full degree programs online.
No one is promising that you’ll automatically get a job offer or promotion from online training taken during quarantine, but knowledge is power, and can incrementally change your perspective and how you apply your skills professionally.
4. Learn a new hobby.
Professional or business courses are great, but so are creative outlets. Training and video sources abound on various topics, also.
- Think of something that always sparks your interest, but you’ve never delved into. Rocket science? Planting flowers? Space exploration? Sewing? Marine aquatics? Writing haikus? Learning a new language? Police artist sketching? Interior design? Classic car restoration?
- Pull up a Youtube video on the topic that will cost you nothing, or take advantage of courses on sites like SkillShare which may offer limited-time free trials. Just start it!
- Read an article about it. Make the first move…
Even digging into a frivolous topic that sparks joy for you can release some much-needed endorphins and cause you to feel better. We all deserve that right now, so indulge!Didn’t we all complain about “not having enough time” before all this? Well, here it is. What are you going to do with it? The possibilities truly are endless, and time is one thing that you can never recover. But, you can maximize how you spend it. Our prayers and hearts go out to you if you have lost loved ones during this time or if you are recovering yourself. Drop us a note at TimeTwoRefine@gmail.com or hit us up on social media to let us know how you’re spending your quarantine currency.