Today I’m sharing some ideas on how I’m staying busy right now. The more of a routine I have the more “normal” it feels which is comforting to me.
How was everyone’s weekend? I’m willing to be that it looked more than a little bit different that weekends have a month or two ago. Like just about everyone else other than front line workers, I stayed very close to home. It’s so strange that this is our new normal for the next foreseeable future.
In today’s post I’ll be sharing some things that have been helpful for me to keep my mind off everything that’s going on. While I definitely keep myself informed with the news, it’s so easy to get stuck scrolling through social media or news stories and then realize that I’ve spent an hour doing that and I’m feeling depressed and anxious with all of the bed news that I’ve just taken in. There’s a fine line between knowing enough to keep myself and the people I love safe and being overloaded with information. If I let myself have too much time to think then I end up stressing about all the things that could happen (hello worst case scenario) and my anxiety goes up. Making sure that I have things to do has been so important to me. I thought it might be helpful to others as well so that’s why I’m sharing how I’m staying busy with social distancing.
Workouts
While I know that workouts aren’t doable for everyone (there’s no point adding another thing to your plate to worry about), but if you’re like me and workouts help with your anxiety levels, then make sure you’re getting them in when you can. While my normal routine would be going to the gym for some cardio on the elliptical or take part in a Group Power class, these days I’m doing yoga or barre workouts online.
There’s a few local yoga studios that are sharing classes online. There’s something really comforting to still be able to take a class from a favorite teacher even though I can’t go to the studio right now. If you have a favorite class or teacher see if you’re able to take a class with them virtually. I didn’t realize how much I needed that sense of normalcy until I actually experienced it with a couple of my favorite teachers.
I’ve also been doing a lot of barre classes on YouTube. There are tons of paid options – I wrote a review of Barre3 online a few years ago if you’re curious about what I thought of them. Barre3 have been the classes that I’ve been doing since I’ve been social distancing, but of course there are lots of free options on YouTube as well as other choices like Pure Barre. Maybe online options are having free trials and even extended free trials so it’s a great time to try out a service that you may have been considering before committing to a subscription.
Work
I’m very grateful that although I’m not able to teach my usual yoga classes right now, I am about to blog. It’s definitely not the same as my usual routine, but at least it’s something.
I’ve also been really flexible with myself in how much I can expect myself to be done. Some days (though they’ve been few and far between) I’m been super productive. Other days I have zero motivation to sit down at my computer and write a post. Being okay with those less productive days has definitely been an adjustment for me. I need to remember to have as much compassion for myself as I would anyone else navigating this new world, and that means being okay with the days where I spend more time taking breaks, watching Netflix, and reading than being productive.
Working on blog stuff is a great way to keep me focused on something that isn’t pandemic related. It feels kind of good to be doing something that doesn’t involve our “new normal” and takes my mind off what’s going on around the world. I never thought I’d say that work is a nice break, but it honestly is some days.
Connecting with people
Even though I’m an introvert, I’ve been finding social distancing a struggle just like most other people. It’s hard to not being able to go out whenever I want. I didn’t realize before how much I actually enjoyed just being around other people at the gym until I couldn’t do it anymore.
Maintaining that connection with other people has been happening in other ways for me like I’m sure it has for you too. I’ve been doing a lot of texting – more than usual – to stay in touch with friends. Being someone who doesn’t typically like talking on the phone, that have even been more phone calls these days. Sometimes it just feels good to hear someone’s voice or their laugh when you haven’t heard it in awhile.
Making it a priority to connect with one or two people each day had really helped me. It gives me something to look forward to when the days seem so similar and like they blend together.
Distractions
I’m pretty sure that there’s been a lot more Netflix watching, book reading, and video game playing going on these days. Like with work, it’s nice to be able to lose yourself in something that’s not directly related to what’s going on in the world right now.
In addition to physical books, I’ve also been reading a lot more on Libby and Scribd. I’m able to access Libby through my local library, and with Scribd I signed up for a free month long trial. I’ve actually enjoyed reading ebooks on Scribd so much that I’m considering paying for it once my free trial ends.
I’m so grateful for both of the apps so that I can read as much as I want right now. I’ve always been a huge bookworm, and I’ve found myself reading even more now when I need a distraction. Books are the perfect way for me to escape into another world when I need a break.
I’ve also been watching a lot of Netflix lately as well. I had started watching season 1 of Homeland a few months ago and started watching it again a week or two ago. I’m now midway through season 2 and I’m hooked. I think it’s one of those shows that you have to watch for awhile before you get to know the characters and get a feel for it. I thought that Mad Men was the same way. But it’s so good if you’re willing to stick with it for awhile.
How are you staying busy these days? How do you distract yourself from all of the news that can seem overwhelming? Share it in the comments below.