Staying Busy
Aloha friends all over the world! Sending you love, positive vibes and some Hawaiian sunshine. How is everyone holding up during this strange and crazy time? So much has changed over the past few weeks. We have all had to press pause on our lives and adapt to a new norm. I hope you all are able to find ways to stay busy, happy and positive. It’s easy to fall into an aimless routine, feel unmotivated and bummed. There have been a few days where I just feel off, agitated and a little lost. I wanted to share a few helpful tips that have been getting me through: 1. I encourage you to make a daily checklist! I love checking my boxes everyday. It makes me feel satisfied and accomplished. My checklist is super simple: write two letters, finish three scrapbook pages, go for a surf, do a workout, read for an hour, take dogs for a walk, fold the laundry, etc. It’s not much but at the end of the day I feel like I did what I set out to do. All my long term goals have been postponed or put in limbo so I’m trying my best to live in the moment and give my very best to the day in front of me.
2. Embrace this time! When have we ever had the opportunity to just be still and have no distractions or pressures from life to keep going, going, going? NEVER! And we may never have this time again so try to make the best of it. There is no sense of FOMO because no one is doing anything! Just be here, now, and completely present. Do some of the things you never have the time to do. Take a nap, finish a good book, bake, do art, meditate, journal.
3. Write letters. We can’t hug or touch each other physically right now but letters are a great way to show your love. It’s tangible and real and when you receive that smile on the other end, it’s the best feeling ever.
4. If you have a kitchen, cook! I usually am always running around and don’t have the time to prepare and cook a meal at home. It’s been so fun to take my time, plan ahead and put love into the food I eat.
5. Go for a walk. Leave your phone at home and just go for a nice stroll. It’s important to get out of the house at least for a little if you can, to get some exercise and fresh air. I don’t think I have ever gone for this many walks in my whole life as I have the last month and I have really grown to love it. There are less cars, less noise. Especially where I live in the back of the valley, its so peaceful. I have noticed some gorgeous flowers, waved to my neighbors and watched the chickens cross the road.
6. Find five things to be grateful for every morning. Starting your morning with a grateful heart will set things in a positive motion for the rest of the day. With so much depressing and negative news circulating, it’s important to find and focus on the positives. There is good everywhere! Every situation, good or seemingly bad, it’s a matter of perspective. For example, today I am grateful for the unexpected quality time with my sister, my families health, getting to feel the sunshine on my face, receiving puppy kisses to wake me up, holding my husbands hand, and the taste of delicious banana bread.
7. Make a garden. Or buy a few herbs or plants. Pros: Watering your plants is something to look forward to doing everyday. Two, it cleans the air and brings freshness to your space. Three, they look pretty and brighten up any room. As a family, we recently built a huge planter box and are growing carrots, tomatoes, kale, lettuce, peppers and cucumbers. It’s been so fun playing in the dirt, connecting with the Earth and each other. Pro number four: If things ever get worse (I pray that they won’t), you’ll have your own food to eat in your backyard and won’t have to depend on going to the grocery store.
8. Play some games. If you’re staying at home with family or friends, bring out some friendly competition. I highly recommend: Monopoly Go, Sequence, UNO, Cafe Conleche (all the surfers on tour love this game… contact @badboyryry for rules). We inherited a ping pong table so I’m about to get my game on. Stephanie Gilmore, watch out. (*Stephanie Gilmore is a world renowned ping pong player.)
9. Work it out. Highly highly recommend getting active someway everyday. Working out gets the happy endorphins flowing and sweating out all the negative energy. It’s hard to get self motivated so maybe try an online class of some sort. I downloaded a timing app and usually set my timer to 45 seconds on with 15 secs of rest. I chose a variety of exercises… burpees, squats, lunges, pushups, high knees, skaters, crunches, medicine ball rotations and go for about forty five minutes. Beginning and middle suck but by the end, I feel rejuvenated and energized.
10. Get a puppy! There is no better time than now, haha. I’m kinda joking but pretty serious. We recently adopted my grandma’s puppy, Maya. With all the time on our hands we have been able to give her the love and attention a puppy needs and deserves. Making sure she is fed, not pooping and peeing in the house, keeping her from chewing on shoes, taking her for walks has been keeping us busy 24/7. Her smiles and cuddles make it all so rewarding and the days go by that much faster.
Okay, well that’s it for now. Thanks for taking the time to read my mumbo jumbo. Just wanted to share some love, light and let you know you're not alone. Really proud of everyone doing their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. I really believe we will come out of this better than before and will be able to move forward with a new perspective and outlook on life and way to live. Let’s keep treating each other with love, kindness, patience and understanding. We will get through this together… one day at a time. Lots of love your way, Carissa