Here comes the time when a lot of us will have a chance to involuntarily meet our real selves.
We are so busy filling our days with “productive” stuff, that most of us don’t remember when we consciously made the decision to spend time alone and be present for more than a few minutes.
This is especially challenging for those who will be spending time alone, surrounded by the four walls during the coronavirus social distancing.
While overall this situation is not desirable to say the least, it also creates a great opportunity for growth and development. Here are few things we can all do over the next few weeks:
✅ Following a morning routine. Waking up at a usual time, meditating, and journaling. A perfect meditation to do right now is Deepak Chopra’s 21 Day of Abundance, that you can find on YouTube (yes, I believe there is abundance of toilet paper, too!). Deepak’s voice is so calming and soothing. Follow by gratitude journaling, or use these 3 questions from the Five Minute Journal to create a framework: 1. I am grateful for.. 2. What would make today great? 3. Daily affirmation. I am…
✅ Moving the body. Since workout studio is not the best place to be right now, I downloaded Peloton app to get access to workouts that are streamed live from their studios (I am sure there are similar apps with the same idea). Their workouts can be streamed on a big screen, and there are many options where equipment is not needed. The yoga class I tried was a gem! Walks and runs outside are cool (and safe) too.
✅ Learning, instead of entertaining. Social distancing is a perfect opportunity to do a few things we never seem to find time for – such as taking an online course, reading a self-development book that’s been sitting on our shelf for a while, or listening to a great educational podcast. Here are a few of my favourite podcasts that guarantee to inspire and motivate: On Purpose with Jay Shetty, SuperSoul Conversations, The Marie Forleo Podcast, The Ikonns and Impact Theory.
✅ Creating, instead of consuming. This is a good opportunity to DO something, instead of watching others take action, and getting into a rabbit hole of reading stress-inducing news that can take a toll on your mental health. If you’ve been postponing things like creating a budget, writing an article or filming a video – NOW is the time to do it. If taking action feels overwhelming, treat it like a shitty first draft, and only commit to five minutes of action a day. It creates a momentum, and you will get much further than you think..
✅ Decluttering. Throwing things away creates space for new things to come into our lives. I really believe in this. So every day for the next two weeks, I will be tackling one area of my home to get rid of unnecessary stuff.
Netflix and social scrolling are tempting solutions for the next few weeks (and I will do some of it too), but let’s consider challenging ourselves and using this time as a chance to get to the next level – mentally, physically and spiritually. This is an awesome opportunity for some big mindset shifts and life-changing decisions.
Let’s use this time wisely!