It's been a couple of months since we had been recommended (or ordered) to stay at home. I see two types of people: people that don't like the lock down, and people that do like the lock down (wow - what an observation!).
I understand both sides of the story - it can be harder for some than others, and it's not always easy to change the way that you live.
For some of us, this whole COVID-19 situation meant starvation, loss of jobs, and loss of family members and friends, in worse cases.
For some of us, it hit us hard on our mental state - not being able to socialize, enjoy the weather outside as spring has approached in many parts of the world, not being able to talk to another human being, not being able to experience the physical comfort or emotional support that some of us are used to, meant we had to figure out different ways to get all that support we need. And that's not always easy or clear.
We cannot help it that this situation has already gotten to this level of Pandemic. Sitting at home being angry or frustrated won't help us move forward. Right now, the most important thing is that we get through it together, be there for each other, protect each other, and also protect ourselves - physically and also mentally.
More than ever, it's important for us to stay strong together or alone, give ourselves a pep talk every single day, learn to encourage ourselves as we may not get that kind of support externally, and who knows - it may even be an amazing opportunity for you to get to know yourself better and come out of it even stronger than before!
I wish that on all of our readers who's reading on right this moment.
Here are some of the things that I'm doing to keep myself busy, keep my mind strong, and keep improving myself during these unprecedented times.
1. Learn a language - $6 an hour.
I never thought that learning a language would be so cheap. I thought to use this time to improve my Spanish to a professional working level. I wanted to hire someone that would have a conversation with me 1 hour a week, giving me full attention. It sounds like an expensive private tutor, right? I signed up on Preply, and found myself a Venezuelan lady, who charges me $6 an hour for a private lesson. That's right - $6 an hour🙂 And I get the full attention. We share our cultures, interests, concerns, and you get to interact with a real person! It's almost like therapy for just $6 an hour. For some parts of the world, and for some families, $6 goes a long way. So she's happy, I'm happy, I guess Preply is happy too?
There are many different language options, may different price levels and all kinds of personalities. Suit yourself.
2. Listen to Blinkist - $8.34 per month.
I thought this pandemic and staying at home a lot situation was a perfect opportunity for me to read more. But I'm such a slow reader and buying or renting books could be a bit problematic now as well. Then I discovered Blinkist!
With Blikist, you can access summaries of thousands of non-fiction books in text & audio forms. A summary takes about 15 minutes for you to read or have it read to you.
I found it a great option for me to be introduced to new concepts, ideas and perspectives on a daily basis by investing just 15 minutes of my day, which I definitely have, especially during this pandemic.
They also offer a free version, where they pick and choose a book a day for you.
Why not make it a fun goal to "read" a book a day for the duration of this pandemic? I think that's pretty fabulous!
3. Work out at home - Free.
Our bodies are meant to move. With less commuting, less walking, less hiking, less grocery shopping during this pandemic, we are moving less. But we can find a way around it!
There are many programs and services you can find online. I use Popsugar Fitness. They have free workouts of different lengths. I usually do 20 minutes workouts, 3 times a week. It gets me huffing and puffing, sweaty, and sometimes even shaky 🙂 The fact that the trainers and trainees in the video are still going, pushes me to finish the workout and not stop just after 10 reps.
Exercising has so many benefits and this can be well incorporated into our stay-at-home routine.
4. Eat more plant-based - cheap.
This is one of the cheapest yet super healthy way to eat.
Rice, lentils, potatoes, beans, oats are among the cheapest, yet really healthy foods that can be your daily staples. They fill your tummy up nicely for a longer time, curb cravings for other packaged and less healthy alternatives, and they are easy to prepare in bulk so that you can store in the fridge for easy access for a few days. Did I mention that they are great sources of fibre and many vitamins as well? Yeap - your gut will thank you too.
Want to know where to start?
Go check out our plant-based cookbook with 50 recipes.
5. Meditate - FREE.
Need I say more?
If you have always wanted to try and squeeze meditation in your daily life, this is your chance to slip that in! Instead of commuting and rushing to work, this can be a nice way of easing into your day. Build that habit now so that you can much more easily keep it in your morning routine even after you're back to your pre-pandemic schedule.
If you want to learn more about meditation and yoga on a deeper level, come check out our Yoga Philosophy for Self Mastery course :)
I hope these recommendations can help you as much as they are helping me stay positive and engaged in life. Also, I hope that these activities can help you look at this situation as an opportunity to work on yourself, learn about yourself, and I hope that makes you joyful! And don't forget to spread that joy to others - 2 meters apart :)
Let's reap the most out of "staying at home"!
That's it folks!
Stay at home.
Stay curious.
Stay beautiful.
Stay engaged.
Stay healthy.