The sudden change of events can be so daunting on our mental health. In order to surmount this tough time, I am following a mindful routine that has been working for me and is keeping me busy. Although, watching Netflix all day sounds like a great idea, doing that for a while will make you feel sluggish and unmotivated. Instead, I implore you to use this time to cultivate your creativity and invest in yourself so you can come out of it availed.
1. Read A Book
Start your day with reading a book. I like to start my day with at least 30 minutes of reading. Reading is a great investment towards your personal growth and improves your overall cognitive health. If you used to be a reader and fell out of the habit, this is the time to start picking it up again.
2. Move Your Body
Exercise is a great way to distract your mind from the unfortunate unprecedented events. Don't be discouraged from working out because your gym is temporarily shut. In fact, get creative and use items you having around the house and incorporate them as part of your workout or you can do bodyweight workouts which are highly effective as well.
3. Stretching and Mobility
Stretching and mobility should be done at least once a week to maintain muscle and joint health. Now that you're exposed to a lot of free time, you can incorporate more stretching and mobility sessions in your week. It can be done for a minimum of 15 minutes and go up to 60 minutes. The reason I enjoy practicing stretching and mobility is because I use this time for my own serenity as I like to integrate some meditation in my routine.
4. Practice an Instrument
If you already play an instrument and have neglected it for a while because of your busy lifestyle, now is the time to pick it back up. Personally, I play the piano and have been enjoying playing more of it during my free time. On the other hand, if you don't play an instrument and have always wanted to play one, now is the time to do it! Playing music is amazing for your cognitive health as it stimulates almost every part of your brain.
5. Play Board Games
Playing board games is a great way to pass on the time and have a laugh with those around you. I am a big board game fanatic. Some of the board games that I've been playing during quarantine include; Code games, You've got crabs, Monopoly, Cluedo and Sequence.
6. Cooking
As most restaurants in the city are in lockdown, it's time to become innovative and start cooking more. Use this time to learn healthy new recipes that you might have not tried before.
7. Self Care
In order to get yourself ready for a peaceful night's sleep, do some self care as part of your nighttime routine. Start with lighting a scented candle for a calming ambience. Next, you can coat your ends in hair oil, put on a moisturizing face mask and lastly take a warm bath or a hot shower.
8. Journaling
Journaling is a great way to declutter your brain and dump it all on a paper. When negative energy is trapped in your brain, it obstructs its full potentiality. Journaling before bed is nice because insinuates the idea that all negative energy has been released. Despite this being a tough time on all of us, the antithesis is that it would be interesting to have a documented journal on what was going on in your mind during this unprecedented time.