Alright, alright…I know! Everyone has something to say during this unprecedented time we are living through. It’s like a Quentin Tarentino movie that we are all somehow involved in.
On the one hand, we are scared, depressed and uncertain, but on the other, it’s almost morbidly fascinating. It’s like watching a car crash…we just can’t look away!
Some of us are busier than we ever have been while others are finding themselves with too much time on their hands. Some of us are making as much or even more income than before and others of us are not sure how they are going to feed their families.
It’s crazy, right?
I find myself happy that I have some solutions for people’s health, sanity and livelihood and then at once, guilty that others are suffering around me.
Our primary health business is thriving, but our vacation rental business is taking a serious hit.
So many dichotomies…so much to be thankful for, afraid of, uncertain of…
Some things we are doing to stay sane and feel like we are helping to make things better:
We operate a roof top aeroponic farm and we have been donating produce to local charities, mom and pop restaurants and needy friends. (Chapala Gardens) It’s also just super chill to hang out with the plants…good time to plant a garden.
We have a ritual of taking a walk through our urban neighborhood every night, just to get a pulse on our little city.
We have made it a habit to spend some money somewhere in the community, every day. Coffee or tea in the morning, take out lunches or dinners…even venturing into the Farmers Market…that, I gotta admit…kind of scares me.
These little habits are helping to keep us sane, keep us feeling that we are contributing in every way that we can and in some small way, keeping us connected to others in the real world…not just on Facetime or Zoom.
Whether you are working from home, not working from home, managing having kids or spouses or roommates home or dealing with the isolation of living alone (you thought it would be so great), we are all dealing with stress and uncertainty…AND we don’t know when it will end or what life will even look like when it’s all over.
Will the economy be ruined forever?
Will we lose loved ones without being able to say goodbye?
What will the world look like for me?
We do have a few suggestions for our readers and hope some of them will land for you.
- Make sure to have a schedule, no matter what. If you ARE working from home, pitfalls include working all the time, trying to multitask and not getting anything done, procrastinating…you name it. If you’re not actually working, it’s easy to feel caught in “Groundhog Day” syndrome with each day lacking any direction.
We encourage you to set a schedule, including self-care, that you and your family will stick to…not a vague idea but an actual framework for your day, week and maybe even month.
It might look something like this:
6-7 am rise, meditation, affirmations, setting intentions
7-8 am prep and plan for the day. Breakfast.
8-9 am exercise, preferably outside
9a-12p work or study, broken into periods with 5-10 minutes in between
12p-1p lunch and perhaps a walk
1-4pm work or study, once again broken into periods.
4-5pm family activity outside
5-6pm meal prep
6-7 pm dining and sharing
7-8:30 pm recreation: game, movie, etc.
8:30-9:30pm winding down and bed
Maybe each day is different, maybe most look the same. Be SURE that you take at least 1 day off COMPLETELY from work or study…super important and plan what you might do: take a drive in the country, get some sun, do a project in the yard.
- Handle depression, overwhelm and stress by observing all of the safeguards in the above: getting outside, exercising, going within, eating well, getting enough sleep, etc. When we put these safeguards in ahead of time, we can often avoid getting too far gone. This might be a great time to learn some new techniques.
- Stay connected with friends and family with phone calls and video chats. You can schedule these, too! Our family has been having planned “reunions” and we also usually share daily about something funny, beautiful or inspiring…no need to share bad news…lots of that already available.
- Practice really, really, really being kind: to yourself, the guy on the phone, your family or roommates…now is the time to shine our humanity. We will get through this.
