These are stressful times – the risk of COVID19 infection, the uncertainly of the future of our economy and our jobs and, for most of us, a lock-down that will see us isolated in our homes over the next month(s). If you are a Spoonie – I hear you – isolation and infection risk is nothing new, but even more severe at this time. Kia kaha! While it is certainly easy to get overwhelmed by everything going on, it’s important to find a way to pull yourself out of the chaos, and find some peace, quiet, and positive thoughts. But how do you find peace and space to do that, if your busy life is suddenly crammed into 4 walls, where your space is overflowing with stuff, and your inboxes are filled to the brim? Here are some practical tips and tricks to help you de-stress your life during COVID19 isolation.
Over the past few years, I’ve tried out various things to reduce the stress in my life. A regular yoga and meditation practice has certainly been a life changer, and helped me go on an inward journey – and during these times that is so important, as we face such an uncertain situation. But there are many other practical things I have tried to implement in my house/life to remove unnecessary stressors, and to create the peace and space that I need to support my yoga and meditation practice. I hope some of the ideas below will benefit you, while you are stuck at home for the foreseeable future. All of the resources below are free and available online.
I came across the Minimalists, as I was on a mission to de-clutter my life. I just felt overwhelmed by all the stuff I had accumulated, and felt like I needed to rid myself of some of this ‘baggage’ to be able to reduce my stress levels. The Minimalists have lots of inspiration freely available on their website and blog. To start de-cluttering my space, I tried their 30 Day Minimalism Game with a few friends from across the world via Facebook. The idea of the game is to remove a number of items from your household every day, for 30 days, starting with 1 item on day 1, 2 items on day 2, 3 items on day 3, etc. So if you feel overwhelmed with stuff, why not give it a try – next week is the start of a new month, so there’s the perfect 30 days. Prep a bag for a charity shop – once life returns back to normal, there’ll be many people happy to receive the things that didn’t end up in the bin. If you are having a complete ‘stuff-meltdown’, check out The Minimalists’ Packing Party I haven’t tried this, but it’s also something you could try in isolation: pack everything you have away, into boxes or suitcases or the garage, and over the coming days only remove those items that you truly need and want. You’ll have forgotten about most of the stuff that’s been packed away and will probably end up getting rid of a lot of it.
While staring at a wardrobe filled with stuff that didn’t fit, or that I didn’t like wearing, I came across Project 333 and the idea of a capsule wardrobe. While you are stuck at home, why not open that wardrobe and reassess what’s in there? Take some time to get rid of literal ‘baggage’ that you don’t need, retain those things you really love, and be ready to return to normal life after isolation with a wardrobe you love.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
This was my favorite find, during my quest to declutter my life – the Konmari Method of tidying up. Despite eliminating stuff from my space, I still felt like I had no overview of how much I had of anything, so using this method really worked for me. You basically put all items of a single category in a pile (eg all your books) and go through them one by one – you only keep that which really sparks joy and/or is essential. Konmari’s free audiobook talks you through her journey and gives you a step-by-step guide to tidy up your life using her method. This will help you tidy up your entire belongings while you are stuck in isolation.
While de-cluttering your environment, to help eliminate unnecessary stress, don’t forget your computer and phone. We accumulate so much ‘stuff’ in our inboxes, smartphones and apps. I recently had a meltdown, staring at multiple overflowing inboxes and Dropboxes, which is when I realized how much stress this was really causing me. Ignoring it just wasn’t doing it anymore. I incorporated reading, filing and deleting emails into my daily routine and am slowly tackling the Dropboxes. I already feel huge relief – let’s hope I can stay on top of it.
I love stationary and notebooks, but never had a system that worked for me. Most of my notebooks started neat and tidy, with good intentions, and were then discarded half way through because they ended up a mess of scribbles. Yet, I’ve been losing track of a lot of to-do’s in my life, and have been overwhelmed with all the things I am meant to stay on top of. So, I went back to give journaling one more try, using the Bullet Journal system. It is definitely a habit you need to get into, but I feel like it’s helping me cope with and control my workload. Just a word of warning: do not get sucked into the rabbit hole of YouTube, searching for all the ways you can lay out and decorate your journal. Start with the The Bullet Journal website, start basic, get into the habit. With time you’ll see what works for your format and style.
Sadhana & Dinacharya
Sadhana and dinacharya are Sanskrit words from the field of yoga and Ayurveda. Sadhana describes practices that have a meaning/value to you; they are “a means to accomplish something'”. Dinacharya describes “wise daily rhythms”; self care practices that are done at a particular time of day. Incorporating daily self care practices as non-negotiables into your daily routine is priceless. I am currently aiming to get up at 6 am every morning, drink some warm herbal tea, do my yoga and meditation practice and then start getting ready for the day. In the evenings, I try to put away the phone and laptop, have a cup of tea and read something positive before going to bed no later than 9:30pm. That works for my lifestyle at this time, and is helping me ensure I stick to a routine that helps me feel good. Your routine and self care needs may look completely different – maybe they include prayer, art, running, music, a hot bath… Try establishing routines that ensure you get your self care and sanity, every day, and experience the benefits.
I just recently came across this – “The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” is a book by Greg McKeown. The book isn’t free, but there is a free YouTube video of him speaking about it, and several summaries of the book are available online. It describes another way to rethink your approach to life, with regards to what you say Yes and No to.
Zero Waste
If your carbon footprint is causing you stress, and you want to revisit the amount of waste you create, some good resource to help you rethink are Bea Johnson’s Zero Waste Home and Lauren Singer’s Trash is for Tossers. Both have lots of free advice on their websites and videos on YouTube. I particularly like Bea’s TedX Talk about “Zero waste is not recycling more, but less“, as it questions everyone’s assumption that recycling is the solution to our waste problem. If you want to reduce plastic in your life, you can also check out “Life without Plastic“, but that is not freely avaible online and needs to be purchased as a book. It’s worth it though.
As our lives have seemingly shrunk, reducing our horizon to our four walls, I hope some of the above tips and resources to de-stress your life might help you find some space and peace, in the safety of your home. If you have any tips and tricks that have helped you de-stress your life please do share them in the comments below!
Stay home. Save Lives.
ini x
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