While we do our part in social distancing in order to flatten the curve of the spread of Corona Virus, I thought I’d share a few ways I’m making good use of this time. My heart goes out to the immune compromised, nurses and doctors on the front lines and my prayers are that this will pass and be contained quickly. I do think we should take this seriously, but not panic, so I’m doing my part by staying at home for the next few weeks. This really isn’t been a huge change since we’ve been spending a lot of time indoors with Neal’s foot injury, work from home, are displaced as we finish kitchen renovations and #winter! I feel like I’ve become an expert at hibernating and in general I’m just a huge homebody. If you have kids, your list may look different, but even if you do you may find some helpful ideas down below of ways to keep busy or self-care. I personally try to look at what God is trying to teach us through challenging times such as these — more rest, more focus on what really matters, more family time, less distractions and a time to nourish and nurture ourselves. To read my post on how to recover during a sick day and my immune boosting tips and natural remedies – click over to this post here!

Organize Your Space

What better time to get a head start on spring cleaning than now? Have a pantry or a closet that needs a good purge? Start now! Keeping my hands busy, plugging in a podcast/worship music and being productive helps me cope with challenging times and in the end alleviates some anxiety of being in a mess. Even if you’re not doing a major organizing overhaul, just washing the bed sheets and tidying up around me can feel so, so good. You can order some organizational solutions from Amazon (see my post here), have them sent to your door and get started on this project!

Try This At-Home Facial

One of the things I absolutely love (regardless of what’s going on in life) is treating myself to an at-home facial. I talked about this facial steamer I got off Amazon in my last YouTube video and how much I love it! There’s no better time than now to love on yourself a little extra, put on a face mask afterward and follow with a nice skincare regime. I absolutely love the Tula Detox In A Jar Mask (I talk about them so much they offered me a discount code for my readers which is STEPHJOLLY for 15% off). It’s exfoliating, cleans deep in to your pores but doesn’t over dry or overwhelm your skin, which I think is so important! I use these silicone brushes to apply to my face from Amazon, then I follow up with the Summer Fridays CC Me Serum and Jet Lag Mask and that’s it. Super simple but a nice treatment for your face right now.

Read Books, Play Cards, Have Deep Conversations

If you’ve had a pile of books but no time to get to them, now is your chance to catch up! I reviewed 3 books recently I really loved (you can read that post here). In an over-connected world, we give our time to technology, news media, devices and become slaves to work. If you have time off or are working from home, on your down time, pick up a book, play some cards or board games or just make some tea, get cozy and chat with your family! What better time to connect?

Pray or Meditate

Something that has brought me a lot of peace in this uncertain time is prayer. I find comfort in reading my bible, journaling, writing down wha I am grateful for and lifting up any worries, anxieties or requests to the Lord. I try to keep my eyes open to what He is trying to show us in these difficult challenges and I rest in knowing He will take care of us. We are not given a spirit of fear, but of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). I also highly suggest taking a few points in the day to shut off your phone, go in a quiet corner with a blanket or sit on a mat, put one hand on your heart and the other on your stomach and take deep breaths. My therapist taught me how to centre myself by doing this over the years of struggling with anxiety and now it’s something I implement in my daily life as a way to keep my stress levels low. It’s important especially now in these uncertain times to stay entered and mange our anxiety. This is just one of the tools that has helped me immensely!

Be Creative

I like to keep my hands busy when my mind is feeling overwhelmed. Painting on a blank canvas (something I love to do), make a craft or a home scrub, new spring decor etc. I scroll on Pinterest and try to find something fun I can do to just create. Channeling our energy, slowing down and being present focused in on a craft or DIY project is really healing!

Don’t forget: this too shall pass. Let’s focus on gratitude, put our energy toward being kind and considerate citizens, helping to reduce the spread and lean in to helping those who are vulnerable (whether it’s helping someone we know get groceries and checking in on them) or just doing our part to stay home and not let this overwhelm our health system. I hope these tips were helpful and you can make the most of this time we need to take being at home, while staying grateful.

Peace and Grace,

Stephanie