Day two. Self Quarantine. The rumors are flying via text message about a 14 day quarantine by president Trump. I pray he makes this bold and courageous move. While our economy may suffer, our humans will live. The humans we love and care about. The humans who staff our hospitals and ERs, the humans who raised us and have taken care of us. It’s time Americans stopped thinking about “us and them”. This virus knows no nationality, no skin color, no political party. Our immune systems are equipped to fight it IF we have healthy immune systems. So many people don’t, and those of us healthy enough to make the choice need to do everything we can to protect the people who can’t fight this on their own. Love thy neighbor. Care for your friends and family. Stay home. Worry will get us nowhere, but small actions that each of us can take to help another WILL make a difference.
These are the things I’m telling myself and also remembering to breathe and limit social media. We all have work to do and families to care for, and we can’t continue to worry our heads silly. The birds are still singing, the sun is still rising, and we are still healthy. Living in this present moment is important. Remembering what we are grateful for is important. Laughing is important. Listening to music is important. Remembering all the simple pleasures of life is important. During the hours we aren’t working remotely (or if you are unable to work remotely), here’s a few things you can do…..
Thank a health care professional
Thank the teacher who is managing 12 year olds VIRTUALLY
Call up a friend or family member and ask them what they need and how you can help
Write a letter to an old friend or a new friend
Make a new recipe - throw together random things in your pantry
Learn about something you have always wanted to learn about - google still works as do books and documentaries
stretch! (we never have “time” to stretch, right)- flexibility is one of the most important attributes of living a long and healthy life
hug the people you are quarantined with OR, if you are alone - wrap your arms around yourself and think of ten things you love about YOU…..and then call a friend and tell them what you love about them
Start a journal - what I’m grateful for during this crisis
Ask your co-workers how they are doing…how they are REALLY doing
Avoid social media and news for a solid portion of the day; allow x amount of minutes per day to stay informed, and then shut. it. down. (too much overload with constant streaming of information)
Social distance, hunker down, and remember what we did before all we did was “go”
Read that book you’ve been meaning to read. Listen to a podcast.
Go for a walk or a run outside - sunshine and fresh air are good for the soul
Open up the good bottle of wine ….and savor it
Set a beautiful table and use the beautiful dishes for your pantry creation dinner
Clean your garage
Clean off your desk and clean out your file cabinets
Work on that business plan or strategy piece you haven’t had time for
Simply THINK. When is the last time you stopped everything and just generated some IDEAS? Think of your home quarantine as an incubator for the next great invention/revelation/creative endeavor.
Crank up the tunes - have a dance party! (either alone or with your family or your dog)
Write that book! Paint that painting! Compose that song!
BREATHE. Deeply. Try a meditation app - I like 10% Happier
Most importantly, keep a daily gratitude list of allllll that we have to be thankful for; the list is endless. Stay focused upon these things. Right now the birds are belting out a beautiful tune from my backyard, the trees are bursting with blooms, the daffodils and tulips are in full flower, and spring is still on its way. Breathe in. Breathe out. And control what you can; your attitude, your mindset, and how your micro actions can help others. Remember (I’ve been seeing this meme circulating) - Shakespeare wrote King Lear during the plague. What can you contribute to make our world a better place? Let your creativity shine.