It's so easy to get wrapped into the chaos and fear during this time. I'll admit, it's nerve-wracking not knowing how long this will last - how long before we can go back to work, how long before we can spend time in person with our families and hug our loved ones, how long before things start feeling normal. We don't know and we probably won't know for a little while. It's important during this time to keep moving your body, stay socially connected (FaceTime is the best), and try to take care of your mental health.
That can be difficult in a time of unknown, but I wanted to throw together some ideas of blogs, podcasts, instas, shows and ideas that I've been enjoying. Hopefully you find something on the list that you can enjoy too!
We've been trying to stay busy and creative in our studio apartment. This weekend, we went on a "camping and climbing trip" inside.
We set up our tent, grabbed the GoPro and spent the day making a video of us attempting to climb the walls of our apartment. It was a blast and so fun to plan out, shoot and edit.
So some fun ideas for you and your family could be setting up a tent and having a campout in the living room. If you don't have a tent, a blanket fort is an awesome alternative. Make some hot cocoa, watch a movie and get cozy!
Another idea is creating a scavenger hunt for your kids (or SO). It could be inside or outside your house.
Get creative! Try painting, coloring, sewing, crocheting, or maybe this is a good time to get back to that scrap book you started on 10 years ago! You could even go on a photo adventure around your house. Grab your camera or phone and capture what's around you. Look at things from a different point of view and find the beauty that's around you every day.
Go for a walk! At this point trails are still open in Iowa - you just need to try to maintain at least 6ft between you and other people. I go stir crazy if I'm inside for too long and sometimes I just need to go for a little walk to get my head clear.
Learn something new! We're in a really interesting part of life where we have an endless amount of free resources to learn and grow. Have an old guitar or uke laying around? Youtube has tons of tutorials. Want to learn a second language? There are free apps that offer lessons. Want to learn a different type of language? CodeAcadmy has a free level to learn various programming languages. Want to become the next great chef? Between Youtube and endless cooking blogs, you can learn how to cook all your favorite meals and treats.
Speaking of blogs, maybe you've been wanting to start one for a while. Now seems like a good time! Or maybe you just want to start journaling. Write about your day, your ideas, your feelings - get it all out on paper or your screen.
Tired of listening to yourself or your SO talk? Try listening to someone else for a while! Podcasts are one of my favorite things and there are so many out there for you to enjoy. These are some of the ones I'm subscribed to: Wild Ideas Worth Living, The Dirtbag Diaries, She Explores, Drilled, She Podcast, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Welcome to Night Vale, Find Your Grind Podcast, Disgraceland
Let's face it though, a lot of us are probably watching a lot of TV or scrolling endlessly through our phones. That's alright and you don't need to feel bad about that. These are some of the shows I've been digging:
• Grace and Frankie (you can find it on Netflix)
• Tiger King (Finally something everybody is talking about instead of COVID-19! You can find this on Netflix)
• Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (you can find it on Amazon Prime)
• Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (you can find it on Hulu)
• The Fifty Project (a professional skiier, Cody Townsend is on a challenge to climb and ski the 50 best lines. You can find it on Youtube)
And these are some of the instas that I'm always inspired by:
At the end of the day, be patient with yourself. If you're frustrated by how much your streaming, no worries. If your diet has become garbage, it's all good. Be patient, be loving and know we're all still adjusting to this time. If you're looking to try some new things or wanting to mix your day to day up, I hope this blog gave you some ideas!
Live big.
Resources:
Bob Ross Painting Videos on Youtube or Netflix
Duolingo - learn a new language
Great ideas and loved the video! I'm planning to tackle my closet and then I'm going to use your suggestion to work on those old scrapbooking projects.