Things are not the same…
Practicing social distancing and self-isolation has drastically changed the way the entire world lives. If you’re like me, you normally wake up with a plan for your day, ranging from business meetings and professional work activities to just doing things around the house, visiting family, hanging out with friends, or Netflixing and chilling. Who would ever have thought those things would be out of reach, or even unsafe?
Isolating in-house has added a new twist to daily rituals.
Life has thrown us a storm of lemons. But we know what to do with lemons, now don’t we? How do we wake up each morning and start brewing our lemonade, baking our lemon pound cake, crafting our lemon meringue pie…you get the analogy by now, I’m sure.
Pivot!
There’s so much that we’ve lost control over that it could easily cause us to slip into a rut from the moment we open our eyes every day. Before, the fast-paced, technology-driven, innovation-heavy world basically showered us with things to do or view on demand, almost as if agendas and happenings had been thrust upon us, and we absorbed so much. Now, we can effectively take back our schedules and craft new routines.
Make the day yours – true Carpe diem style!!!
The glass of lemonade is half-FULL! There’s so much that we’ve now gained control over. Reclaim your time! Some of us are able to work-from-home, while others are still going into (hopefully) modified workplaces that are practicing social distancing. Still, others are not working, and are awaiting their next life assignments. A common denominator we all share is that we now have more flexible (not “free”) time on our hands. But that time can easily get away from us, as it did before, if we don’t respect it, or embrace it even.
Here are some ways to proactively direct your day:
5-10 Minutes of Meditating or Focusing with Positivity:
- Set your mind frame on being thankful. The moment you awake, take a deep cleaning breath in, and breath out gratitude. Verbally express thanks to whatever higher power you claim.
- If you believe in affirmations, starting your day with them is the ideal time. These set your intentions for your day, allowing you to verbalize your expectations. Likely, your day will follow. If you haven’t practiced them before, The Law of Attraction is a good site to get started.
- Discard the worrying! If worrisome thoughts or stress or anything negative invades your mind-space during this time, repel it! Focus on what can affect the positive change you’d like in your life. Negativity only serves to derail you and bring you down.
- Don’t overcomplicate it. If it is something you can easily make into a habit, you’ll be more likely to stick to it.
Infuse Your Mind with Good Vibes by Listening to Your Favorite Song(s):
Studies have shown that recalling happy memories can help improve your sense of self-worth and well-being. This can also fight off the sense of hopelessness that some people are feeling right now. It seems like such a trivial act, but it does help. So, create a feel-good playlist for yourself, and put it in rotation every morning.
Get Moving!
Slowing down doesn’t mean you have to…. slow down. Ensure that each day starts with some type of physical activity. It doesn’t have to be a full workout; you can save that for later. Your body’s natural cortisol hormone enables alertness, and levels of it are high in the morning, enabling energy for your movement, and setting the tone for your day. Exercise, even for 15-20 minutes, also releases those feel-good endorphins that can help combat stress and worry. It doesn’t have to be complicated; here are some ideas:
- Yoga-This age-old practice has seen a renewed interest amongst varying demographics in the last decade, and for good reason. Yoga’s poses, movements, and breathing practices provide benefits that include reduced stress, increased strength, better oxygen flow within your body, and more flexible muscles. I can attest to its benefits, because, within 2 months of starting my practice, it helped rid me of lower back pain that I’d experienced for a year and had seen little improvement in physical therapy. It has also helped control anxiety. There are so many apps and places online where you can start a yoga practice. Yoga with Adrienne is one of them. There are videos ranging from 5 minutes to around an hour, and a whole collection on yoga for beginners. You can even select some quick Morning Yoga sequences.
- Walk for 10-15 minutes. Whether it’s around the block or on your treadmill or up and down your stairs, it’s still movement. This also costs nothing, and, if weather permits, gives the triple benefit of exercise, fresh air, and nutritious sunshine. The vitamin D from sunshine helps muscles and even improves brain function, which also helps set the tone for the day ahead.
- Dance! Pick your favorite dance songs, close the door, and have at it! Dancing is so beneficial because you are moving, getting that heart rate going, and stretching those limbs. But it also releases those endorphins and, if you pick the right songs, triggers some good memories. Pandora and Apple Music have some good collections.
This is just a small list, but we will publish more from time-to-time as we all help each other work through this new version of our lives.
What are some of the things you’re doing as part of your morning ritual? Let us know at TimeTwoRefine@gmail.com or post here. Share what you are doing to redeem the time at hand.