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Our Self Quarantine Survival Guide
WHAT IF WE PRACTICED SOME SELF-CARE DURING THIS PANDEMIC ?
This forced quarantine is not what we had planned. It is stopping us in our career flow, in our travel plans, in our relationships and goals. But what if instead of fighting this pause that was forced on us, we decided to make the most of it and see it as an opportunity.
Instead of filling our time with chores, unanswered emails and writing the next award winning book, we we could use this time to simply be.We are not machines, and the idea that we live to produce for this society that tells us that monetary gain has to prevail over humanity has to be changed.
Let's make music for the sake of it and make food we crave, let's rest, cry, be vulnerable and play, let's be creative and kind and simply watch how it makes us feel.
Mother Earth needs a break and so do we.. Let's use this time to reconnect with a simpler version of living and see if it can be our tomorrow.
IN THIS ARTICLE I WANTED TO FOCUS ON ALL OF THE POSITIVE THAT THIS QUARANTINE IS BRINGING US, THE TIME TO LISTEN TO OUR BODIES AND RELAX OUR MINDS, THE TIME TO ENJOY SIMPLE THINGS AND TRY ALL OF THE RECIPES WE HAVE BEEN STACKING UP FOR MONTHS. WHAT IF WE TOOK THIS TIME LIKE A GIFT ?
1# CLEAR THE DECK FOR CREATIVITY
LOUISE HERE !
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This quarantine is the perfect opportunity to clear our minds and try our hand at some creativity outlet. Cultivating our creativity boosts our minds and relaxes our body, plus it's usually the type of thing we don't have the time for in real life..
So our go to creative outlets are
KNITTING (if you don't have yarn but are dying to try, you can get some delivered to your house) is such a fun thing to have lying around the house.
HAND DRAWING OR PAINTING can be an amazing opportunity to work on some cards to send out to your neighbors and family to send out a little extra love.
NATURAL DYING is something I have been dabbling with. Using vegetable scraps, you can play around with tainting cloths and cotton clothes. I'm a little in love with natural dies, and it's so crazy to see the peels of beetroots or avocados coloring so vividly our fabrics.
WRITING This has been the ost fun for me, working on new articles to post here, but writing can come in all shape and form, and you don't need a blog to get creative. Poems, short stories, novels, emails to friends, memoirs, songs, even journaling ! Putting pen to paper really helps to relieve stress and move through our feelings, so don't be shy and let's get writing.
TRY OUT NEW RECIPES is for me a super creative way to use your time. Letting the smells and textures fill your senses and making some elaborate meal that will satisfy and nourish you on more than one level is definitely my idea of an afternoon well spent.
2# GET SOME SH*T UNDER CONTROL
When all hell breaks loose and it feels like we are living in an apocalyptic movie, turning our minds to some good old OCD behavior can be wonderfully efficient.
CLEAN your house, your car, your wallet, your closet, your dog, your desktop, your apps, I mean, there is so much to chose from ! When stress becomes too much and all you want to do is get some control, know that your pantry is there to be organized and scrubbed.
MENDING is something that I dedicate about an hour every other month, because we have such well loved clothes that I can't get rid of. Thick wooly socks, warm jumpers, gardening jeans, they could all use some tender love and care !
COOKING IN BATCH is on my list although I haven't started yet. If you have a working freezer, making big batches of your favorite meals and freezing them in little baggies flat on the bottom of your freezer, is the perfect way to plan ahead for the futur months where you will be craving a home cooked meal but might not have as much time and energy to make it. Once they are frozen, you can line them up like books side by side to save space.
3# CREATE YOUR CALM IN THE STORM
First things first, let's turn off the news, put on some soft music and take a deep breath. You are alright. Everything happens for a reason. We will survive this thing ! So one thing that always works, is to turn your worried mind elsewhere.
LISTEN TO A PODCAST is one of my all time favorite activities, especially to get me through chores or a run (I don't love to run, but then again who does ??). Listening to people banter or revolutionize my pantry organization is my go-to chill activity.
ROLL OUT YOUR MAT and even if it's just to sit on it and not practice, my mat has always felt like a safe place for me. I light a candle, put on some soft music and just move my body, listen to my breath or sit with my eyes closed and my hands on my belly, feeling how alive and protected I really am.
LISTEN TO A WHOLE ALBUM, you know, like we did as teenagers, lying on the carpet and letting every song fill our hearts and souls fully. All time favorites are Bowie's Aladin Shane, The dark side of the Moon by Pink Floyd or any album by John Coltrane. Let the music fill your head fill the room you are in and let your worries melt away.
MEDITATE isn't always easy for a worried mind, but so many apps like Headspace or Insight Timer are there to help. You can follow a five to ten guided meditation to navigate through your feelings and bring some well needed space and clarity.
FALL INTO A GREAT BOOK is always something that I recommend. Following the lives and turmoils of other people, falling in love with characters, experiencing life through words is one of my all time favorites. If you need recommendations, The shadow of the wind by Carlos Luiz Zafon is a beauty, or How does she do it by Allison Pearson is a great classic of mine.
4# USE UP YOUR ENERGY
Being cooped up all day isn't exactly an ideal for our energy levels, and even if we don't feel it, we need to move and spend it to feel calmer, relaxed and sleep better.
FOLLOW A CARDIO WORKOUT is probably the best thing to do indoors. There are so many teachers and styles to chose from on Youtube. I personally love a good cardio + muscle strengthening combo to really get my heart rate up and feel the old energy being replaced by the new !
BINGE A NEW TV SERIES is a wonderful way to clean your head and get excited by something new. Joaquin and I have binged on Full House since the show started in the 80s and all of La Casa De Papel and let me tell you, some days it's reason enough to get out of bed !
GIVE YOUR CLOSE ONES A CALL. We lived and traveled to different countries together and on our own, and finding our way back to our friends and family through Skype, Zoom and Whatsapp is really sweet and motivating. Especially since we are all in the same boat, across the world, everyone is quarantining or will be soon, and somehow, knowing that we are all in this together makes it a little easier.
WHEN ALL ESLE FAILS, HAVE A DANCE PARTY ! There is nothing better to get your heart rate going and put a smile on your face than dancing like a crazy person in your living room. Personal favorites are just about any song from the 80s.
5# GIVE A LITTLE LOVE
When things get crazy, and you are stuck like we all are right now, it's the perfect time to go inside (not the house, you're already there, inside yourself). Learn to strengthen the bond you have with yourself and explore your relationship with yourself and perfect to deepen the sense of self.
AT HOME SPA Creating a calm and peaceful ambiance for yourself, lighting candles and playing soft music, treating yourself to a mask, an oil massage, a manicure, a hair soak, a hot oil treatment.. all sound pretty good no ?
JOURNALING is for me a must everyday. Somehow writing down how I feel helps me to process and understand it better.
MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES to find a closer connection with the present moment, mindfulness is a beautiful tool. Have a look at our all the things to do in full mindfulness article.
SUPPORT A CAUSE if you have the power to. Finding a use for ourselves, might it be through donating your time online or your money is a wonderful way to find some connection to yourself and others. Feeling productive, feeling in charge, feeling useful in a time of need is always a super positive thing.
This quarantine won't last, but what we do with this time could. By learning to listen to our physical, emotional and mental needs, by reconnecting ourselves to what surrounds us, we can reestablish our prioritize in life. Find our way back to a life we dreamed of, not one we are suffering.
I really believe that this quarantine can be positive, remind us of why we chose our partners and who are our families, what make our hearts race and what simply doesn't.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SELFISH DURING THIS TIME, LE'T MAE GOOD USE OF IT !
Sending you all the love from our little home on wheels to yours ! xx
I'M LOUISE
Thanks for giving this a read ! I'm a writer, photographer & self proclaimed environmental warrior, excited to share solutions, ideas and recipes to bring sustainability into our lives.
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