By Jackie Minton
With COVID—19 on the move, suddenly we are not. Each day more schools, offices, workplaces, and venues are calling off their plans or trading face to face contact for the internet. Hand washing and social distancing are on the forefront of our community’s conscience. In this time of being tempted to despair, let’s not let loneliness be the undisputed answer. Here are a few healthy and safe ways to spend the precious day we’ve been given! Let’s not take it for granted. For official information regarding the virus, follow this link.
Call Mom
As Ben Rector wisely put it, “she’s the only mother that you have.” If calling mom isn’t an option—or you just got off the phone. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while! Catch up and listen. How often we wish we had more time for these simple things.
Get Some Exercise
Now is the time! If going outside is a safe option, take a walk. If not, move the couch over and find a simple work out video on YouTube. Pilates and yoga are great options that do not require a lot of space. Follow along and go easy on yourself! If you’re quarantined with a roommate or family member, make this a group activity (6 feet apart :D)!
Read That Book
Yes, that one. The one that has been sitting on your shelf, that you’ve been meaning to get around to. Balance your screen time by rewarding time spent reading with an episode of your favorite TV show. You won’t regret this one.
Listen to Something New
Ask your friends what’s tunes have lifted their spirit and what podcasts have challenged their mindset. Never taken a deep dive into jazz? Checkout the discography of Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. Ever wondered why your friend was so fired up about an artist? Ask for their top 3 tracks and give them an attentive ear.
Get Creative
Do you have an instrument in your house you’ve always wanted to play? Look up instructional videos and set aside half an hour each day to picking it up. Not the musical type? Make a work of art! Follow a long a sketch video, learn how to imitate calligraphy, write a poem. Now is not the time for perfection, but for fun!
Share Your Discoveries
Authenticity can be the hardest thing to find on social media these days. Share your thoughts, your readings, and maybe even your new artistic work! Your loved ones will be glad to hear from you and to see something breaking up their feed of unproductive worry.
“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”
Photo by Da Kraplak from Unsplash
From all of us at Olivia, cheers to the day at hand!
C.S. Lewis quote is from his essay, “On Living in an Atomic Age” (1948)