With the Covid-19 lockdown approaching the three-month mark, and social distancing here to stay for the time being, you may be finding yourself feeling a bit restless. This is a tough time for everyone. But there are practices, projects and routines that can help lift us out of the feeling of isolation and bring us closer to feelings of joy and gratitude. If you are finding yourself with some time on your hands, check out these ideas for your social distancing routine:
Pick up a new Skill
Now is a great time to start something new. If you are fortunate enough to have down-time during all of this, think about picking up a practice that you’ve been wanting to learn. Maybe it’s learning a new language, how to paint, or even how to shape surfboards! Whatever it is, you probably have some more time to dedicate to a new passion project.
Or maybe it’s time to dust off an old hobby. If you’re like most of us, life gets in the way. Maybe you used to play guitar or practice yoga. Maybe you even have an unfinished novel tucked away in storage. Now is the time to dust off old projects and passions that were lost to your busy schedule. These practices have a way of also connecting us to our roots, of bringing gratitude and connection into our lives.
Practice Relaxing
Sounds a bit strange, huh? But oftentimes, especially in times of stress and uncertainty, we actually need to “practice” relaxing. Check in with yourself daily to make sure you are not holding onto unnecessary stress or anxiety. Take it a step further and make time for yourself to relax every day. This can be a time for yoga, meditation, exercise, or reading. Or it can be a time for video chatting with family or friends, or watching a good movie. Whatever it is, don’t stress about it. That’s the point after all.
Plant a Garden
If you happen to have a yard or some outside space, think about planting a garden. Growing your own food is one of the most rewarding practices you can do. Utilizing your own space, whether it be a yard or a small balcony, to put food on the table is such an amazing feeling. If you normally plant a vegetable garden, think about upgrading it a bit this year to provide some extra veggies for family or friends.
Learn to Cook
With most restaurants closed or only offering take-out, now is a good time to step up your cooking game. There are endless resources on the internet, from recipe sites, to full-blown cooking shows on YouTube, to inspire you to get in the kitchen. Cooking is another extremely rewarding practice. Couple this with your home garden and you’ll really have it going on. What’s not to love about picking a few veggies from the garden and cooking up your very own dinner.
Before Covid-19, we probably felt like we didn’t have enough time in the day. Between work, exercise, school, family and other responsibilities, it’s hard to feel like we had any time left for other activities. And although we are sorely missing these things now, with regular life on pause right now, we’re able to tap into our wells of inspiration, and come out of these strange times for the better.
We hope everyone is staying well during all of this. At Charming Shark, your safety is our first priority. Please take care of yourself and be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more inspiration.
Written by: AJ Letterel
