#30MoreDays: Sheltering In Place 2.0…How To Move Forward Now

little cottage.jpg

Hello!

We made it to April! It feels like a big moment to know that it’s officially April and this is a new month and a new beginning. Even though we’re still sheltering in place, apart… but together… it still feels like this new month is a breath of fresh air and an opportunity to tap into a fresh start.

There’s a definitive shift in this energy, you can probably feel it too, it’s almost palpable. While we’re still sheltering in place, the feeling of this #30moredays feels much different than the last several weeks. The issues that were prescient at the beginning of this stay at home order while still on the forefront seem to be impacting us at home in a different way as we move forward. Are you feeling this too?

There’s a feeling now that we’re all in this together, and that we in some way have found a bit of a rhythm in how we move through our day to day life at this time. We can see how neighbors are supporting each other, the kindness of strangers being shared online, and even the human experience of overwhelm and frustration being shared over the inter-webs. This common theme of connection even though we’re apart has helped us to feel less alone and in many ways seen and understood. The irony of finding community while being inside is so surreal but so powerful at the same time.

So many people have some things sorted out that were up in the air 3 weeks ago.

  • Maybe you’re finding your groove as a sudden + unexpected homeschooling professional.

  • Maybe your littles are streaming their classes via zoom and now you’re a zoom expert even if you’ve never heard that word in this context before all of this.

  • Maybe you’ve found or reconnected to your love of cooking, baking, and hanging out in the kitchen.

  • Maybe you’ve made an effort to create and participate in group chat calls, again getting your zoom skills to a professional level!

  • Maybe you’re enjoying being home and really reconnecting to your space, surroundings, and the healing quality of home.

  • Maybe you’re getting some projects and items checked off your to do list.

  • Maybe you’ve picked up your musical instrument, knitting needles or crochet hooks, paintbrush, garden gloves, or a book you’ve been meaning to get to when you had some down time.

  • Maybe you’re still working full time from home and you’ve found a way to adjust to a new normal work wise.

  • Maybe you and your partner are both working from home full time and are finding a way to get into a rhythm in your work space and style.
    (Do you need it silent while your partner works best while blasting music and talking super loud to their clients?.....Does this seem super specific? It is, because this is a peek into my situation, lol)

  • Maybe you (or your loved one) is an essential professional and are working on the front lines at this time. We all see you, yes, all of us, the global community see’s you and we appreciate you!

As we move into this next phase of sheltering in place, I see that a deep focus on self care and gentility is very important.

The first phase focused a great deal on what felt like an overnight adjustment to nearly ever part of our day to day life. A crash course in how to do everything differently beginning now was the overall feeling.

Sheltering In Place 2.0 feels more like a deep call to gentility, slowing down, and being very gentle with ourselves. Yes, all the things still need to be done but this feels different than last month.

The majority of everyone I worked with or talked to last month was scrambling to do all the things they needed to do while also trying to find ways to keep busy since they couldn’t leave the house. One of the biggest themes that showed up for people was an intense level of stress, anxiety, and the biggest one forgetting to breathe.

Yes, forgetting to breathe.

Maybe you’re noticing right now that you’ve been forgetting to breathe too.

When we’re under stress, the body goes into a natural stress response and we begin to either hold our breath or breathe through our mouths. (No, mouth breathing isn’t the natural way the body is set up to breathe.)

It makes perfect sense that during a crisis all of us would experience an increase in stress which turns on our natural stress response.

So, making a concerted effort to remember to breathe right now is very important. You can set an alert on your phone to give you a gentle reminder. You can place a sticky note on your fridge, laptop, or bathroom mirror. You can ask someone you live with to gently remind you to breathe if they notice you’re holding your breath. Any ways that support you in breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth will be very beneficial for you right now.

Even taking 3 deep breaths in through your nose slowly and exhaling out through your mouth will help to reset your body and help to clear away stress and tension from your body and mind.

This month as you set your intentions for April and for your #30moredays maybe you can make the theme about self care and self love.

Sometimes these become buzz words and people think oh yeah I know all about that but they don’t really implement them into their daily lives. This is a perfect time to practice these very important support services for yourself and the people sheltering in place with you.

I’ve included some ideas to support you in slowing down and being gentle with yourself during shelter in place 2.0. This is just a small list to help you generate some of your own ideas, this is by no means a be all end all list.

Quiet Time:
Yes, remember quiet time? Schedule this into your schedule daily this month. A 10 minute block a day will make a huge impact in how you feel. You can practice conscious breathing, meditate, or journal during your quiet time. Please don’t use your quiet time to scroll as it tends to ramp up stress and anxiety and this is time for you to reset, restore, and replenish.

Walk It Out:
Many communities are still allowing walks in your neighborhood; if you’re one of these folks, lace up your shoes and walk it out. You’ll physically move stress out of your mind and body and you’ll increase your endorphins while also getting some much needed fresh air and sunshine.

Music Over Scrolling:
Listening to music soothes and supports the nervous system and actually increases mood.
Scrolling Instagram or whichever platform you love can increase tension, stress, and fear energies. So, opt for listening to music rather than going into a scrolling hole.

Slow is the New Hustle:
Focus on Moving Slower. Breathing Slower. Doing Things Slower.
You may notice that you feel guided to push yourself harder, to go faster, to get it all done, to not stop until everything is finished. When you notice this, breathe and take a moment to refocus. This isn’t a time to be pushing yourself to go against your natural body rhythms but to reconnect and honor your natural pace which is much slower than what you’ve become used to in last 2 decades.

Get Grounded:
When we reconnect to our true selves, our body, and the natural world we become more grounded, focused, and in tune with our real feelings, thoughts, emotions, and sense of self; we feel more like the real us. If you have house plants, water, propagate, and slow down with them. Maybe you can plant a little garden on your balcony or in a patch of dirt in your back yard. Smudge your home, spruce up your space, get outside and if it’s warm enough take off your socks and shoes and put your feet in the grass while you watch the clouds roll by.

Lean Into What Soothes Your Soul:
Choose to do things that you haven’t been able to do but genuinely love. It may be something that you haven’t done in years or it might be something seemingly simple like playing a board game or putting together a puzzle. Make a pot of tea and drink out of your favorite fancy “waiting for the perfect day” tea cup.  Make something, bake something, do the DIY’s, dry flowers and herbs, learn to make those tinctures you’ve been wanting to make, wear your fancy pajamas just because they make you feel good…or anything that soothes your soul.

This is a perfect time to honor and truly practice real self care and self love.

  • Go slow.

  • Do what you can right now but honor your needs at the same time.

  • Breathe.

  • Reconnect to you and honor and invest in your needs, wellbeing, and rest right now.

I’m sending you so much love and support from my teeny tiny corner of the world!

I’m still working and available to support you right now if you feel guided to schedule a session with me.

With so much love and gentility,
Kristy~xoxo

Would you like to become a Member of My Community?
You'll receive a Free Meditation MP3 plus a Special Price on a session.
Click Here to become a Member, now.

25 Ways to Move Through This Time A Little Easier

heart beach flowers (2019_01_30 23_54_58 UTC).jpg

I hope this finds you well as we all move through COVID-19 together. I’m currently writing to you from my home since I’m unable to go to my office and I’m quarantining with my husband and our kitty.

I don’t know about you but the tension, stress, and uncertainty where I am is palpable; and if you’re feeling it too, I want you to know that you’re not alone. As a highly sensitive person you may be feeling overwhelmed and in need of extra rest, comfort, and tlc.  You may find yourself being a big support system for the people in your world right now too, which can add even more intensity and pressure to your plate. I know that I’m definitely feeling all the feels and needing extra comfort right now. In fact I’ve been meaning to send you a message for a few days but I’ve just needed to rest and nap when I can in between phone and distance sessions.

I wanted to send you a little note to let you know that I’m thinking about you and your loved ones and wanted to share some things that are helping me right now. I hope that you’ll find some things here that really speak to you and will add to your comfort + support right now too. This is by no means a be all end all list, and hopefully it will spark some great ideas + inspiration for you.

I’ve also included a bonus list for you below of my top 5 things to do when you 1st begin working from home if you’re finding yourself suddenly part of the lap top lifestyle + digital platform professionals team. (We’re so happy to have you join us!)

20 Things to Do During Quarantine:

  1. Read a Physical Book or Listen to Audible
    (Let someone tell you a story; this is a great one if you need to help your body let down and relax.)

  2. Organize a drawer, closet, pantry, or your garage.
    Take this time to get some of those organization projects off your list. It feels sooo good to get things organized and to have a new system in place plus it brings new and revitalized energy into your home.

  3. Creative Project
    Get out some partially finished creative projects and spend some time working on them or begin a new project. Keep them where you can get to them so you can just enjoy your creative process without having to dig them out every time you feel guided to work on them. (Creativity is a big stress and tension reducer + turns on calm in the body.)

  4. Learn to do something new that you’ve been meaning to do.
    Search youtube videos to help you find a tutorial for your particular thing and go for it. Or if you have books, dvd’s, or class notes about it, get those out and lean into the learning process.

  5. Color or Draw
    Get out your markers, crayons, colored pencils, paper, coloring books, construction paper, and poster board and get creative. Color or draw while you’re watching a movie or listening to music. (Creativity turns on calm while naturally releasing built up tension and stress.)

  6. Cook
    Yep, dig into a cookbook or find a recipe online and reconnect to the joy and healing qualities of cooking from scratch in the kitchen. Even if you feel you’re a little rusty or you don’t have much experience cooking, start out with something easy and use this time to increase your skill set and love of cooking.

  7. Bake
    Did you love baking cookies when you were little? Does the idea of baking a chocolate cake give you a zing of excitement? Baking is really fun and doesn’t take a lot of time but yields yummy dividends that will make the folks quarantined with you sooo happy. Plus your whole home will smell incredible!

  8. Enjoy a Cup of Tea or Coffee
    So often we’re grabbing and going because we have to be somewhere; but now you can take some time to truly enjoy the simple pleasures of a beautifully brewed cup of tea or coffee. (In your favorite mug or tea cup.)

  9. Exercise
    Even though we’re all inside for the time being, moving your body is still really important and a great way to move stress out. There’s tons of workout videos on Youtube for every kind of workout you can imagine. Lace up your shoes, grab a water, and start working out in your living room.

  10. Meditate
    Beginning or returning to your meditation practice is a powerful way to support yourself, physical, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You can listen to guided mediations if you’re new to meditation, you can use the calm app or something similar, you can practice conscious breathing, or any meditation practice that feels like a fit for you. Even 3-5 minutes makes a positive impact on your overall wellbeing.

  11. Play Music
    Do you play an instrument? Pick it up and play it again and if you’ve been meaning to practice more or learn something new on your instrument, this is a great time to do that.

  12. Listen to Music
    Music helps to elevate mood, increase energy, and can even increase happiness. So, turn up the music and have an impromptu dance party, sing a long, or a walk down memory lane while you enjoy listening to your favorite music.

  13. Self Care
    Practicing self care is really important right now. Anything that feels like it would offer you care, counts for self care. Take a nice hot bath, do an at home facial, mani +pedi, diy hair mask, diffuse your favorite oils, smudge yourself and your home, use your favorite or special linens, jammies, slippers, etc. Invest in taking care of yourself in ways that nurture you.

  14. Journal
    Whether you write with a pen and notebook or type in your digital journal, writing helps to move things through us and onto the page which helps us to gain clarity, calm, and comfort.

  15. Write
    Have you been meaning to write someone a real letter on paper? Now is a great time plus everyone loves receiving a real note or card in the actual mailbox. Have you been chipping away at your book, article, screenplay, oracle deck, original song, etc? Make time to sit down and write, even for 15 minutes. You’ll be amazed how much you will get done.

  16. Clean
    Not everyone’s favorite activity but something that must get done and you can add music and sturdy shoes and get a workout in while you clean and enjoy your favorite cleaning playlist. Oh come on, you know you have a cleaning playlist too.

  17. Relax
    This is one that may seem obvious, but honestly most people don’t know how to relax anymore. Due to our overtaxed schedules, most people are used to being in fight, flight, freeze, and fawn and have to work to remember how to truly relax. So, breathe… release tension in your tummy, chest, and face and give yourself permission to relax without combining it with a chore. Yes, relaxing is an important thing to do. We aren’t machines are shouldn’t be going all the time.

  18. Sleep
    Take naps if you need to or want to. Yes, if you need to or want to. You may find that your body needs extra rest right now so even if you nap for 20 minutes here and there (or longer) give yourself permission to do it. Sleep is when our body can physically repair and heal. We need to sleep to keep our immune system strong.

  19. Redecorate
    Have you planned a home project, got all the stuff but just haven’t had the time? This is your time. Paint that wall, install those shelves, hang those curtains, move that furniture around to create more seating areas, install those wood floors and get that carpet up and out already.

  20. Movie Marathon/Show Marathon
    Get into your favorite jammies, grab your snacks, blankets, pillows, and settle in for the long haul. Watch all your favorites, and maybe finally watch the series your friends have been telling you you’re going to love. Enjoy the marathon and make it a little party, set up your space, have all your goodies in arms reach, and press play.
    Some Marathons to Consider:
    Star Wars
    Harry Potter
    Indiana Jones
    Roger and Hammerstein Collection (Musical lovers, I see you!)
    The Matrix
    Lord of the Rings
    Toy Story
    The Godfather
    Super Hero Movies
    Back to the Future
    Friends
    The Office
    Twilight Zone
    Dark Shadows (Currently all Seasons on Amazon Prime)
    Gilmore Girls
    Cheer
    HBO Series Favorites

Top 5 Things to Do When You 1st Start Working From Home

Take Control of Your Morning

Were you a commuter? Did you have to be up early to get to your office or place of work?
Grab these precious hours now that you’re home and use them for you! Here’s what I mean, keep waking up like you would before the quarantine and use that time for you. Once your day gets going, it’s easy to lose that morning time which can be used to invest in yourself. So, have a cup of coffee in the quiet, journal or read something inspirational, get a workout in, meditate, or soak in your tub. Grab those morning hours and use them to support you.

Get Dressed

Seems like a no brainer but this is one of the most important things for new lap top life professionals. It’s easy to get stuck in your jammies and not get a break from your work for hours which can leave you feeling less than awesome. So, get up and wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and change into fresh clothes and not jammies. Even if you put on house clothes or athleisure so you can sneak in a workout during the day, great. Just get up and get dressed, you don’t need to wear full hair and makeup unless you want to but hair, teeth, face, plus fresh clothes is a must.

Dedicated Work Space

This is really important, even if your dedicated workspace is a small table in your laundry room or guest room or in your living room, make it your dedicated work space. You may feel tempted to work in bed, please don’t do this. You want to be able to rest in bed when you’re finished for the day and working from bed activates that space in your body and mind as a place you should be working and creates sleep challenges. Tons of psychological research about this, I won’t bore you with the details, just try to avoid it completely.

Dedicated Schedule

Stick to a schedule. Decide when you’re going to clock in and out and make it a conscious choice so you can stop when you’re finished and refuse the temptation to keep going with “just one more thing.” I’ll let you in on a little secret, there will always be one more thing, you must stop at the end of your official work day otherwise you’ll never stop. This leads to burn out and a compromised immune system, you don’t want either of those situations. Build in your lunch break and force yourself to take it and eat your lunch away from your dedicated work space. Just like not working in bed, don’t eat at your desk, see something else, move to a different area of your house, even if that means the kitchen table. Do something else while enjoying your lunch; give your eyes a break from screens and try not to make scrolling the thing you do while enjoying your lunch. If your littles or partner are home, eat lunch together and have a conversation.

Remember to take 2 15 minute breaks in addition to your lunch break. Set an alarm on your phone, yes, I’m serious and then get up when they chime. Don’t ignore or push through the break, you need to physically get up and take a break from what you’re doing.

Go to the bathroom…I know….I know but most people forget to go to the bathroom when working from home.

Drink water…same as above. People forget to drink water when working from home. Keep a bottle at your work space and sip it throughout the day.

Don’t Do Chores

It may be really and I mean really tempting to do laundry, clean, mop, and just do a quick ________.

Don’t do it, stick to your work schedule.
Working from home doesn’t mean you aren’t really working.
You need to protect your work hours in the same way you would if you were at your office or place of work. You wouldn’t walk out in the middle of a meeting to go pop your laundry into the dryer. Respect your work, yourself, and your work schedule. Don’t give in to the temptation to work and do your chores at the same time. It doesn’t work and you’ll feel frustrated because everything will be half done and you’ll feel pressured to work into the night to try to get it done. The chores will be there waiting for you and you can do them when you aren’t working just like you did before the quarantine.

Okay, that’s it for today. I know it’s a lot but I wanted to share these things wit you in the hopes that it will offer you some support. Please let me know how you’re doing and how I can help you at this time.

Please know that I’m sending you love, gentility, and supportive energy. I’m here for you and you’re not alone. If you want to work with me right now, I’m still available for phone, skype, and distance sessions. (There’s a special price point too.)

With love and support,
Kristy~

P.S. In between sessions I’ll be hunkering down and cooking, baking, organizing, stitching, sewing, and enjoying some Movie Marathon’s. Harry Potter, the Matrix and Dark Shadows seem to be calling my name right now. xoxo

Would you like to become a Member of My Community?
You'll receive a Free Meditation MP3 plus a Special Price on a session.
Click Here to become a Member, now.