Practicing the Art of Stillness in the the Time of Corona
I was inspired to write this after talking to one of my Chinese students this morning. When I asked her how she was feeling today she said, “Oh teacher I am so, so happy” to which I replied, “Well, why are you so, so happy?” And then, beaming from ear to ear, she showed me a picture of an apple she had drawn. And she said, “Every day since we have been inside I have tried to draw the perfect apple and today, I did it. Just look at it.” And I must admit, it was pretty stinking perfect.
I thought about her life and how crazy it must have been over the past few months. She hadn’t been out of her house in over two months, and yet here she was, joyful and celebrating a huge win.
Most of us probably never could have imagined the reality that we and the global community are currently facing, and yet, here we are. And I think, if we look past all of the scary and overwhelming shit around us, that we can truly turn this into a time of growth and maybe even rejuvenation. Here are some ways I will be seeking to practice the art of stillness in a time of chaos.
limit time on the phone & the internet in general
In years gone by, we had significantly less access to each other, information, and noise in general, i.e. music, podcasts, audio books, news, etc. And now? If we wanted, we could literally and constantly read new information until we die. And sure, that’s good in some ways, but in a lot of ways, it is absolutely destructive and maybe even soul crushing (at least if you are an empath like me). So over the next few weeks, I am trying to only use my phone a few hours a day and restricting my computer use to work and writing tasks.
For total transparency, I will admit, I am almost 5 days into quarantine and I have been really struggling with this. I am pulled to the news and information in such a visceral way and I hate it. I also notice that I experience more stress and anxiety the longer I allow myself to look at it, whereas I experience more peace and calm the longer I distance myself from it. As a result I have been trying to only look at one or two reputable news sources and putting my phone on airplane mode throughout the day. In my opinion, too much information is as bad as no information.
This may also be a great time to delete social media apps if you find it leads you down a road of stress and anxiety.
create a routine
There is no right way to do this, but find a routine that works for you and stick to it. Fill your days with things that you need to do (cleaning, working, educating, etc.) and things that bring you joy. For me, that means I am teaching online in the mornings, cooking a good meal for lunch, and then writing or reading for a while in the afternoon before treating myself to some dancing, dinner, and a guided meditation or a Lore podcast before bed. What are you planning to fill your days with the next few weeks?
make it peaceful
Focus on your yourself and your immediate family
In a busy world with a million external pressures and demands, it is often ourselves and our immediate family that are most neglected, because we will and they will always be there, right? Well, in our current reality, you have tons of time and they really are there, so cherish them and take advantage of this time. Make your house a joyful and happy place. Make cookies and a fort and cuddle up while watching a funny movie. Or have a dance off. No kids? Then celebrate your partner, in all the ways there is to celebrate, if ya know what I mean.
if you have kids, have honest conversations with them
Whether they vocalize it or not, your kids are scared. They are hearing all of the same information you are hearing, but they have significantly less ability to process it and cope with it. So patiently meet them where they are and talk with them about what they are hearing and how they are feeling about it.
Treat small tasks as a form of meditation
Being in quarantine will most likely mean that you will be doing a lot more small mundane tasks that you may otherwise have done for you. Things as simple as making a fresh homemade meal can be turned into a meditative practice; you simply have to approach it that way. You don’t have to cut all of those tomatoes for soup, you get to. You get to clean you house and keep your family safe. You get to make meals. You get to help your child learn new things. Revel in it.
Make it joyful
move you body in ways that feel good
There is no pressure here but often stress is stored in our body as tension, and simply finding fun ways to release it will make our whole day better. Stretch, dance, lift (those gallons of freezer bags in your fridge), run the stairs, or go for a little walk if possible. Anything to get yourself moving.
Read a book series (alone, with a partner, or kids)
A good book series will transport you to a whole new world, and I think for a lot of us, that is just what we want. As an added bonus, you can enjoy this alone, or in a group. I adore reading books for myself, but one of my favorite things ever is when Ben reads to me. I’ll venture to bet that your partner or kids will also enjoy it, and it will give you something to talk about when you are two weeks into your isolation. ; )
work on a hobby
Personally, I will be working on some gardening, creating delicious recipes, macrame, and water coloring painting. What will you be doing to fill your time? Learning how to be a home school teacher, cook, or something else? Let me know in the comments, I’d love some new ideas!
write a thank you letter
In such a time of crisis, we all need to feel seen and appreciated, so take the time to write (like with pen and paper) a letter to someone you love and are thankful for. I can guarantee you that it will make them glow. You can also email these to doctors, nurses, teachers, elder care workers, grocery store workers, parents who have become teachers, truck drivers, etc that you know who will undoubtedly be working extra hours during this time. It may also be a good idea to send a letter to the spouses of those workers who are sacrificing their loved ones for the greater good of the community as a whole. Your kindness will be felt in more ways than you know.
make it count
Assess your life
Spend time thinking about your life. What it is that you truly miss doing now that you are in quarantine? And what are you so happy to not be doing while you are spending time at home? Is there a way that you can include or stop doing these activities in the future when life goes back to ‘normal’?
teach yourself a skill
This is a prime time to learn a new skill, maybe even one that could help advance your career when the world has gone back to normal. If you are wanting to learn a creative skill, SkillShare is a great place to start, and they offer a two month free trial, which fits ever so nicely with this time of quarantine.
If you are wanting to learn something a bit more tech-based and heady, then StackSkills is where you should look. I taught myself how to code with a course through StackSkills and generally think it is an awesome resource. If you are serious about wanting to learn a language then you need to check out Babble, it is a proven language learning method with incredibly reasonable prices. And if you aren’t quite ready to pay for a language learning program then dip your toe into it with Duolingo, which is totally free. (This is also a stellar option for kids who are now doing at home learning, because knowing multiple languages will always be beneficial and fun!)
The plus side of this whole internet thing is that you can literally learn anything you have ever wanted to master! .If you want to learn something, and don’t know where to start, please leave a comment in the comments section below and I will do my very best to help you find some awesome learning options.
Assess your BUSINESS
The coming weeks are going to cause financial hardship for most everyone I know, and that is hard and really, really sucks. The flip-side of that, especially if you own your own business, is that you will probably have more free time in the next few weeks than you will have in the next few years, so take advantage of it. What parts of your business are thriving and what parts need reviving? Could you use this time to spruce up your image, or engage with your clients and community? How can you build your audience during this time, or creatively meet their needs remotely? If you’re a hair dresser, could you create some fun tutorials online? If you’ are teacher who is planning for maternity leave, could you start developing some online tutoring clients via Skype? Get creative, because you have a bit of time to really try some things out! And if you would like someone to be a non-biased sounding board for the cool business ideas in your head, I would LOVE to talk to you. Just drop me a message in the comments below, or send me an email at heythere@remoteramblers.com and I will reach out to you!
I know for many of you right now, it feels like the whole world has come to crashing to a halt, and in a lot of ways it has. I think this virus has also done a great job of shining a light on a lot of the issues with the way we currently do life globally. The broader issues within communities, health care, economic security, preparedness, and so many other aspects of life are things we won’t simply be able to ignore once we arrive on the other side of this pandemic. But right now, you have TIME, which is something that most of us never seem to have enough of. So try and enjoy it and make it work for you!
I am sending love to each and every one of you and I hope that you will reach out if you need someone to talk to, vent to, or dream with. We will get through this, together.
(although separately, in our own homes.)
Our ramblin days are still ahead
FYI! I receive a small commission if you decide to use the free trial with SkillShare. But please know that I only list things because I love them and I know that you will too!