I woke up late on Saturday and didn’t have much motivation to do anything after I woke up so I just laid in bed scrolling on my phone. There was a time that I would relish when I would wake up to a rainy morning with time to scroll on my phone. Instead of enjoying reading the news updates on Twitter and getting inspiration from photos in squares like I usually do, I got bored and put my phone away. Luckily, my parents called on speakerphone as they were making cupcakes for their neighbors. I got to talk to them about the weather, what their garden looked like and a promise that a photo would be sent shortly. We did the usual check in and reminder to stay indoors – this was directed to my dad after he told us he wanted to play a round of golf with friends. It really is true that we need to emphasize the staying indoors more to our parents than us young people! Luckily, my mom with her doctor title and me as the concerned daughter won and my dad will not be playing golf with the guys this weekend!
After a long conversation on the phone with my parents, I changed out of my night time pajamas and got into a matching set of “daytime” pajamas or comfy lounge wear as we started to call it. I made an easy breakfast and a cup of coffee even though it was late in the afternoon. I checked my email and deleted the ones with the subject titles that mentioned “SALE!” because I am doing a no shopping rule during the quarantine and I can proudly say that I have not purchased anything besides groceries and other essential items. I also filled out the Census questionnaire which was really easy and quick to do – kind of a bummer when I was hoping it would take up more than 5 minutes.
I’ve been good with keeping myself busy this past week. I like to create a to do list with a list of a few things I am grateful for each day while I drink my morning coffee. I’m cleaning and catching up on laundry and spending time in the kitchen making dinner. My mom commented that I was getting through this with a smile in my heart and it made me realize that the way we think about this time in our lives can impact our day so much. There are days that I am bored and don’t have much motivation to do anything or I stress about our finances. There are so many times in my life that I wish I could have a week to let my mind rest or to catch up on everything or to get to that long to do list. I’m being lazy because it’s what my body needs but I am also being intentional with my time at home. I’m also creating a routine that helps me find structure during a day without much to create it like usual. I like to start my mornings emptying the dishwasher and tidy the kitchen while listening to The New York Times Daily Podcast as I wait for my Keurig to get started. It’s enough of the news to stay in the know but not too much to feel overwhelmed. Then in the afternoon, I like to work on a project to keep me moving. I deep cleaned our kitchen and I’m rearranging our first floor to make it more functional. I’m finally unpacking a few more boxes from the move and working on our guest room/office. I added photos to an album that have been in a box for years and I organized my box of treasured items and cards late one night while watching Netflix. I’m making my bed each morning because I have the time to do it and spend a few minutes to do a short work out to keep my body moving. Make a to do list and check the item off proudly once accomplished, even if it’s tidy like washing your face in the morning or brushing your teeth at night before bed.
There is so much uncertainty right now as we go into another week of us being unsure when things will go back to normal. For now, I don’t want to dwell on that. Instead I want to be intentional in how I use this time I have at home. Even if you are working from home right now, make your bed each morning, find a project, big or small, to accomplish each day and go to bed at your normal bedtime.
Stay safe…. Stay inside…..but most importantly, be kind to yourself.
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