I’m trying something new: this is a LIVE blog post – that means I’ll publish five parts per day for 10 days. If you haven’t already, start by checking out my original COVID-19 post then follow along with me on Instagram for daily updates! Comments are SO welcome, what are you all doing these days? Let’s brain pool.
11. Treat Yourself
Make some fresh brownies or draw a warm bubble bath. Light a candle or gently stretch and massage your body. Whatever your treat of choice, savor it: step outside of the experience to review and appreciate it. Try to focus only on this moment, this experience. Notice any feelings of joy or love and bask in them for as long as you’d like. You deserve this goodness. What if you dedicated one moment to savoring something every day?
12. Try single tasking
Call it slow living or what you’d like, I learned the art of single tasking when I first moved to Spain. As I adjusted to the lightest workload of my adult life, before I built up a community or friends and plethora of hobbies, there were a few months of what felt like nothing. All that extra time felt daunting. I realized that I needed to slow way down. I was in the habit of multitasking. So I mindfully broke up my days into single actions. Sipping coffee. Folding laundry. Listening to a song. Resting. Reading one chapter of a book. Cooking. People watching. Sipping a glass of wine. Moral of this story:
just eat
just stretch
just read
and you’ll notice those moments are so much fuller, richer, more wholesome than you used to give them credit for. Is it lazy? Maybe, in some circles. But a slower, deeper life is the key to meaning and I’d rather be rich in wellness than striving in the name of productivity.
13. Take pictures
Photograph things that make you happy or things you’d like to remember: notable happenings during COVID-19 — just for you
“for your records”
We’re living through history. Sometimes I get swept into a pattern of only documenting the “pretty” things (social media encourages this), but taking note of the tragedies– of the emptiness and the signage and anything out of the ordinary– is a more well-rounded way to look back on this time. I feel we mustn’t shy away from the suffering and loss which are this moment. It is a time to appreciate and respect others’ grief and a moment to be remembered in a whole way.
14. Watch for Wildlife
Have a window? Look outside right now. Check the sky, any birds? Listen. Any foxes? Bees? Whether you live in the mountains or a mega city living things surround you. When I was a kid I could watch a grasshopper for an hour. They are still fascinating! I’ve taken to watching a pair of birds out my window. Bird watching may be a new hobby even after quarantine, what’s living with you? You’re far from alone, you see.
15. Invest in experiences
(rather than stuff)
- travel
- attending live events
- sharing meals
- self-care (and treating your friends to it)
These are both the things that make us happy and most of what top the off limits lists.
But there’s a special joy in anticipating good experiences too. And this is what you can do today.
- Plan your dream vacation. Greece, Costa Rica, Tulum anyone?
- Make a savings plan to purchase tickets to see your favorite artist or team next season.
- Indulge in quality ingredients and make a gourmet meal for yourself and others (watch a youtube tutorial or enroll in a Masterclass).
- Send your best friend a spa kit (remember this coconut coffee body scrub recipe?) or homemade banana cake.
Easy banana nut muffins/loaf cake
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F
- lightly grease a loaf cake pan or muffin tin (makes 12 muffins or one loaf)
- mix 3 mashed bananas + 1/4 cup melted butter (or oil/mix of the two) + 1/4 cup milk (plant milk OK) + 1 egg (or 1 spoon chia seeds + 3 spoons water)
- add 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup honey (or 1/2 cup brown sugar) + 1 small spoon baking soda + dash of salt + 2 cups flour (option to sub 1/4 cup with oats and/or ground hemp/other protein powder) + 1 cup chopped walnuts
- fill muffin tins/cake pan 3/4 full and bake 18-20 minutes, cool for 5 then enjoy!
Grace in the World 