Last updated on April 8th, 2020
Many of us around the globe are finding that our usual routine is completely disrupted.
Maybe you’ve had to say goodbye to your morning exercise session or now have the kids at home with you 24/7. Perhaps you’re working from home or missing the freedom and flexibility of leaving the house whenever you want to eat out, meet up with friends or visit elderly or sick family members. Some of you will be essential workers and may find yourselves with volumes of work that seem insurmountable.
For some, the self-isolation guidelines will feel like a much-needed breath of fresh air. Yet others will be itching to go back to the way things were – if that is even possible.
Whether you’re the former or the latter, be mindful you don’t let all of your nourishing routines fall away as your usual day-to-day ones change. It might be tempting to pour a glass of wine every afternoon, however, consider the impact this will have on your body and the flow on effects it will have on your systems—including your immune system which needs to be a priority for all of us right now. My hope is that more people start to approach their health this way year round.
So, what can you do to take care of yourself through these unusual circumstances?
Prioritise a daily movement practice
Has dropping the school run and need to get to the office meant that you’re lying in bed longer? While I absolutely encourage you to listen to your body if this feels supportive for you to do this, you may also feel nourished by getting up and moving your body. Could you do some daily stretches in the lounge room or garden? Or follow an online Stillness Through Movement, yoga or Pilates class? If the children are with you, could you teach them a few basic yoga poses to get them involved or take them for a walk with the dog (if this is allowable where you live)?
Increase your nourishment with home-cooked meals
Whether you’re a natural in the kitchen or feel completely out of your depth, forced time at home gives you the perfect opportunity to cook more often. One of the biggest roadblocks for people when it comes to home cooking is arriving home late at the end of the day or a feeling that you have no time to cook. Of course, self-isolation doesn’t mean you have nothing to do but it does significantly reduce commute times which in itself will usually mean you have more time to focus elsewhere. So why not learn to cook—or reignite a love for it? Again, if the kids are around, it can be great to include them as a way of getting them more interesting in whole, real foods and teaching them about nourishment. There are endless supplies of free, health-supporting recipes online, or if you feel it would be helpful, you may enjoy my Real Food Chef video series.
Join an eLearning course
If you do find yourself with more time on your hands, instead of just getting lost in Netflix (which can have its place of course, just preferably not all day every day), could you join an online course and learn something that you’ve always been interested in such as a new language, or how to take better care of your health?
Get creative
Dust off the paintbrushes, crack open your journal, jump into the garden or look for other ways to bring some more creativity into your life right now. If you have kids at home, maybe set up a craft table for them—and make sure you get involved too. Creativity is a way for us to play; it’s process-oriented rather than outcome-oriented. It doesn’t matter if it’s any good or not, just try something you wouldn’t normally make space for in your usual routine. It can be incredibly soul-nourishing to tap into your creativity.
