Here we are in lockdown,social distanced,and/or self isolated… what are we going to do with ourselves so we don’t go crazy with anxiety or with boredom, here are…

Ten ideas to survive social distancing/ self isolation/an overabundance of me time!

1.

Sleep… no you don’t have to put yourself into a deep sleep like Snow White, but getting enough sleep is important, you need to be at your best energy to keep an even mood.
It’s easy to fluctuate up and down between happy, I don’t care, and sad when you’re totally fatigued from lack of sleep and have no energy. But getting a good night’s sleep or even taking a short nap during the day can raise your energy level and an enable you to deal more positively with the current health situation and it’s effect on your daily lifestyle.

2.

If you’re feeling tense and wound up just breathe. Breathe in for 4 hold and then breathe out for 4. Try this a number of times until you feel a bit better.
Another method of breathing is called alternate nostril breathing.
To do this:
Lift your right hand up toward your nose.

Exhale completely and then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.

Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers.

Open the right nostril and exhale through this side.

Inhale through the right nostril and then close this nostril.

Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side.

This is one cycle.

Continue for up to 5 minutes. But a shorter period of time is good too. Take care not to become lightheaded.

Always complete the practice by finishing with an exhale on the left side.

3.

Yoga
There are many beginner yoga apps which we can put on our phone and devices or we can look at YouTube lessons. Yoga is very good because it slows us way down, which will help to release any anxieties.
Because you can’t have an anxious mind that’s running a muck while at the same time doing a slow considered yoga session. And there are very many beginner poses which most people can do do so don’t worry if you’re not the bendy type.

4.

Lose yourself in the peaceful world of colouring

Now there are so many apps that we can use on our phones or tablets for for colouring. We can make it a meditative experience by colouring mandalas and spiritual things or we can do it just for fun colouring nature scenes animals anime.

When you start colouring you get so much into the experience that you can think of nothing else but what colour next to put in your design.

If you’re not good at using colours there are some apps in which the colours are numbered so you just popped them in.

But the important point is this is an activity that takes your entire attention and it can be very relaxing and fun and you end up with a little mini masterpiece.

5.

Learn new stuff

Now is a good time to learn a new skill for fun, or for future employment, or if you want to own your own business at some time in the future. Start preparing for it now.

You can find many “how to” videos on YouTube and study that way, or there are many online courses with which you can study such as Udemy or the Centre for Excellence, or there’s probably some more that I don’t even know about. Or, you can teach yourself a language with Duolingo which is free, or there’s some more free apps for learning languages . And plus it keeps you from getting bored because you’re stimulating your mind.

6.

Now’s a good time getting around to reading all those books that you’ve been meaning to read. Or maybe you’re like me and you’ve got quite a collection of books on your Kindle that you haven’t even started or that you have started but haven’t finished. This is your time for virtually uninterrupted reading sessions. And it’s a good time to read some inspirational books as well to keep your mind and in a positive vein.

7.

Exercise. Get those endorphins released and flowing. Endorphin release generally happens when you activate your natural reward system with activities like exercising.

When released, endorphins can help relieve pain, reduce stress and may cause a euphoric feeling.
So do something to keep moving and help keep everything working properly.

It’s easy during this time to just do a lot of sitting around and our gyms might be closed but there are plenty of apps and YouTube videos that we can join in with and get the sweat on.

Taking walks around your neighborhood is good as well, you get a bit of sun and most importantly, some fresh air. Those can lift our mood as well.

8.

Connect. Reach out to friends and to your colleagues. Find groups with common interests and communicate.
You can communicate via Facebook other social media, via zoom,via FaceTime, via email, or Skype or apps such as House Party or Whats App.

You don’t have to be alone.

Sometimes when we are alone, that’s when the fear thoughts or the negative thoughts or the uncomfortable thoughts can just run wild. But if you can get them out and talk to somebody about them you can possibly feel a lot better.

And interacting with others just makes us feel part of the community.

We might be socially isolated but we can still reach out and communicate electronically.

9.

Practice gratitude
No matter how bad things may seem, there is always always something to be grateful for.
For one thing you’re alive, … you’ve got a roof over your head, …you’ve got food in your house -some people have more food in their house than others – but you’ve got some food in your house. There’s always something good. If you’re feeling down try to think of things that you’re grateful. Write them down or record yourself saying them.

10.

Eat well and take care of yourself.
Try to eat nourishing meals and not snacks and sweets all during this trying time.
Try to come with some interesting recipes using whatever food you’ve got on hand. And take your vitamins as well, to hopefully keep your immune system and energy levels in balance. Just in whatever way works for you, take care of your health as best you can. A strong body can help us keep a strong mind.

So give these ideas a try. If you’ve come up with other ideas that you’d like to share free to leave a note in the comments!

🌹🌹🌹

If you’d like to support the Positive Affirmations and Audio Stories blog and podcast please visit

http://ko-fi.com/happythoughts

A coffee (ko-fi) donation would be awesome and much appreciated! 🤗