5 things you can do to improve your life right now get on with all of this (gestures widely around for anyone else who agreest).
The above is the title I was sent in response to my last post which you can read here, they argued that some of what I had written wasn’t easy to do during the current situation and came up with alternatives to help us through these times.
In my defence, I have chosen to think ahead and imagine a world where we can train, travel and see people again, it’s a bit like a fantasy rather than our current reality, and a hope that we will get back there soon.
I do get it though if my post touched a nerve and so in response here is Irina with an alternative 5 things you can do right now to get on with life, enjoy :):
And just like that let’s all come back from that imaginary travel or our favourite BJJ class (sigh).
I’m not a life coach either, but it has become clear we need to help ourselves to get through this, there are too many variables – when will the lockdown end? Can we just abolish homeschooling? When can we get vaccines? Etc etc, this uncertainty just doesn’t help.
Hopefully, my five points below might make your day-to-day just a little bit easier.
Firstly, what I learnt in 2020 is that online classes are amazing. No one is judging you, you can pause to work out that tricky move at your own pace, you don’t need a special gym kit for it, some of the classes might be suitable for parents. And the beauty of it, you can have 5min doing squats & star jumps, 20min yoga or try that 30min dance routine because why not?
It seems almost impossible to squeeze a workout between work calls & parenting, but it would do you more good than that glass of wine you’re looking forward to.
Personally, I find the effort-reward scenario works best for me, for a session of Netflix I need to do at least 20min of fast paced training, and yes my bar is low but I manage to move some every day. If you can’t do a full hour of hardcore training – do whatever you can for your mental health.
Secondly, everyday cooking got boring pretty quickly for me, who knew I’d be missing work canteen –ready to eat food! cooked by other people! different every day!
Making daily meals can quickly deplete your recipe collection, and while I just can’t get myself to cook new recipes all the time I suggest:
Experiment with recipes you know by adding more herbs, lime juice, kimchi, try new protein or spices, or exploring your corner shop/supermarket for the food you haven’t tried before.
Scale it up with restaurant meal kits if you can afford those. From bao buns to Katz deli style salt beef, the choice is yours, and yay for supporting the restaurant industry.
Scale it down with more affordable options, tinned food (which might surprise you) or easier recipes for days when everything seems to be more challenging. I’m a big fan of Tin Can Cook and Good Food for Bad Days: What to Make When You're Feeling Blue by Jack Monroe, but there are also some recipes on BBC Goodfood website or by Jamie Oliver.
All of above goes into my third point - break the routine. Been doing BJJ – try online Zumba or Pilates class, going for a walk after work – try early morning walks, a week of veg meals instead of your usual meat, escape room in a box, puzzles, bloody gardening, oh and writing this post definitely gave me something new to do! Also, those parents who’ve been reading the same book for the bedtime over and over again, I see you and I stand with you while reciting Gruffalo from any page, do pour yourself some wine.
My fourth point helping others if you can to make you feel better. This works like that oxygen mask on the plane (remember those?), helping others should come after you took care of yourself, and should be do-able/affordable for you. There are charities which appreciate a DD, be it even a fiver, there could be a neighbour who might be lonely, there could be a local mutual aid group in need of a driver, drop a few pasta packs in the food bank collection point. Or you could help your friends by reading a story to their kids via Zoom and giving them 20min of peace. Making a difference is good for us, and it definitely makes us feel better.
Which brings me to my final point – do ask for help. We have our bad days and our good days, and sometimes the bad days overshadow the good ones, and it’s important to know we’re not alone. When video calls might be overwhelming – try an old fashioned phone call, speak to support lines, chat to someone from local mutual aid, reach out to your BJJ pals.
I’m interested to know what helps you to get on with your day? Feel free to share, and let’s stick together till we can roll again ☺