Worry can derail an entire day if you let it. But did you know you had the power to stop it in just 30 minutes of your time, freeing up the rest of the day to live your life? The answer is more straightforward than you think.
When you become accustomed to worrying, you gain a constant stream of negative feedback and information in your brain. It’s like leaving the TV on to a channel designed to inform you of every worst-case scenario, only personalized to make all those dire predictions all about you.
Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?
But by designating 30 minutes every day for worrying and allowing yourself to worry only during those 30 minutes, you gain back your day and your life simultaneously.
You start by setting a ‘worry time.’ Once you have this half-hour firmly in place (put it on your calendar if you need to), you can start kicking every worrying thought to the curb. You tell it, ‘later.” and then refuse to let it near you again until it’s your designated worry break.
How do you do this? Try these quick steps:
Pick a Time
Grab a half hour when you’re not going to be busy. Be careful not to pick one too near bedtime, though, as it might interfere with your ability to sleep.
Become Conscious of Your Thoughts
Every time you have a worrying thought, tell it to go away until later. If it helps, jot the worry down somewhere, so you have a list to look at during your break.
Use a Timer
Worries can quickly take over as much time as you give to them. By setting your timer to 30 minutes, you’re keeping control of just how much time you’re going to spend worrying.
Record Your Thoughts
Either write down your worries as you think about them, or if you like, journal about your thoughts during this time. Create as much detail as you like. This might also be an excellent time to examine your worries, to figure out if there’s a recurring pattern or theme. Dig down into the heart of what’s really troubling you.
Stop When the Timer Goes Off
At the end of 30 minutes, you’re done. Any additional worries now have to wait until tomorrow. Close the journal, throw away the paper, do what you need to close off the worrying for the day.
Repeat
Do each of these steps every day for at least two weeks. Why? Because it takes time to form a habit, which is what you’re really trying to do here.
In the end, you’ll be amazed at how much freer you feel when you realize you don’t have to worry all day long. You’ll sleep better at night and be much more productive during the day. Not bad for an investment of only half an hour.
If you would like a bit of help to curb your worrying by meditating and don’t know where to start, clicking here might help.
Worrying sure affects our ability to experience happiness. Here are some ideas to up your happiness quotient.
Yesterday, I mentioned that I would share something today about grandparents. Quite some time ago, I posted a series dedicated to creating a biography of information for future generations. I keep planning to generate an actual journal, perhaps a fillable PDF, an audio or digital version of the same thing, but haven’t done it yet.
Because I have been too lazy to create that, you can still access the free information postings on this website when you sign up to receive my random bits of wisdom and inspiration. I will create a link to that in my next post – tomorrow. Sign up now – and share please.
Asking your grandparents or parents about their past can be a great way to get them talking! Perhaps your grandfather was drafted in the war, or your grandmother was on the front line treating soldiers in a medical camp. This can make for a fascinating chat and will be something for you to cherish when they pass on. While you’re at it why not start a family tree and have a lasting family record to pass down to future generations.
It’s unfortunate that our regular routines don’t leave us with much room to explore our personalities. Perhaps this is the perfect time to start doing something we always wanted to try. Be it painting, knitting, crochet, jewelry making, writing; there will be no better time to try them out. If you are self isolating with others why not think about one thing you can teach each other?
Very few of us find time to do yoga or meditate in our busy lives. But maybe this time period can be utilized to self-reflect and contemplate our lives. Set an hour every morning to spend on the balcony or in the garden to meditate and engage in some yoga to keep yourself feeling fresh and happy. You can find many sources of meditation audios online.
If you are a spiritual person or believe in God, this time could come in handy. Many people, due to busy schedules, start feeling disconnected to their spirituality so this might be a good time to get on your knees and try to reconnect with your beliefs and your creator.
The current circumstances have left us all feeling anxious. Engaging in some breathing exercises or meditation to calm the nerves will help ease the stress. Keep yourself calm during this time and take part in activities that relax you to keep the panic from spreading…yoga, tai chi, mindfulness. Maybe we can’t stop Corona, but we can sure combat stress.
One way that helps with stress is a deep breathing exercise. Close your eyes, slowly breath in through your mouth and bring that full breath right down to the pit of your stomach and hold it for a 3 count. Then, just as slowly, breath out through your mouth and think about exhaling all the toxins and negative feelings from your body. Do this for a couple of minutes whenever you feel the need to relax.
We’ve all probably bought a plant at some point in our lives that has eventually died of neglect or lack of care. Well, this is the time to work on your parenting skills! Maybe bringing a child into the world right now would not be smart, but that shouldn’t stop you from adopting a plant or two. Find your inner green thumb and get gardening to keep yourself busy in self-isolation.
Maybe you can’t go out to purchase a new seed or plant, but everyone has vegetables or fruits at the house to eat. Collecting their seeds and planting them in your garden, flower pot or window box could give you a start to your vegetable garden that can actually be quite successful and give you fresh produce in the next few months.
If there’s one being that does not mind all the time you spend at home it’s probably your pet. Maybe your cat is not so bothered but your dog is probably having the time of their life. Take this time to play with your pets as much as you can, give them some love, and just be busy keeping them happy!
While you are stuck at home with your pets, why not take the time to teach them a new trick. Most animals are smarter than we think. Teach your dog, cat, or even hamster to shake hands, rollover, or any other interesting trick. Who knows, once quarantine is over you might be applying to a TV talent show!
There’s always a book we’ve all been meaning to read and have had on our shelf for the longest time. You can finally get around to reading it now. This will be the perfect way to keep your mind stimulated and your mental health in balance. Why not get a group of your friends together for an online book club or just swap suggestions of books that each of you have enjoyed. Of course, I could point to the top of this page and suggest “Bob’s Books” as a starting point.
Maybe a long novel is not the ideal reading material for you. If you prefer something lighter and shorter you can try reading a magazine. We all have old magazines around and any form of reading is enough to keep you mentally active.
Maybe reading is not your cup of tea, but that does not mean you don’t get to enjoy some exciting stories or knowledge. The internet is a sea of information and it’s so easy to get your hands on an audiobook these days. Listening to an audiobook can also help you multitask, or relax while you’re trying to go to sleep.
This could be the best time for you to earn some extra cash on the side. Keep your savings untouched and try to get through this time by earning as a freelancer. There are plenty of freelancing jobs available on the internet including writing, designing, proof reading, recording audio-books, and if you have a great voice, doing voice-overs. Try looking at gigs on Fiverr.com to get ideas of what you could offer. Then google how to get started successfully.
Whether you’re a fan of cooking or not, you will need to be cooking to keep yourself alive. So how about, rather than cooking the same boring pasta or casserole, you try a new recipe that everyone in the family wants to try! Choose something easy to make with the supplies available, and you’ll be good to go. Cooking will keep you busy, while a full stomach will keep you, and anyone you are self-isolating with, happy.
Whether it’s our tight schedules, or lack of free hours at one time, watching a TV series in one go is nearly impossible, unless you stay up all night. However, self-isolation has left us with enough time to give in to our bingeing needs, and this would be the best time to start and finish a new TV show, without being interrupted in the middle!
There’s nothing like a good movie to bring the family together without actually having to interact. Spread out the floor pillows, close the curtains, make popcorn, and put on a blockbuster movie to create a cozy home theatre. Pick a movie everyone will enjoy and let it keep everyone busy for a while.
Painting is universally known to be therapeutic and something you can indulge in to spend some time by yourself. You don’t have to be Picasso to pick up a paintbrush – you don’t even have to show it to anyone once you’re done. You can simply paint to relax. Let your hand take the lead and get your creative juices flowing. You may even find you have an undiscovered talent and be able to sell your art.
Worst case scenario, there’s always that window sill you keep meaning to give a fresh coat of paint.
There are many mediums when it comes to creating art, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a paintbrush. You can learn how to draw while in self-isolation if you don’t already know how. Find a free online tutorial and don’t be limited to pencils – perhaps choose something different – pens, markers, charcoal, chalk or even color pencils. YouTube is full of help to get you started.
There are plenty of ways to get your creativity flowing. Perhaps this is the ideal time to take a look at your saved pins on Pinterest and engage in some DIY Activities. Make yourself a candle, up-cycle some old clothes, or, if you can get hold of some clay, try your luck at some pottery. DIY is an easy way to get the whole family involved and engaged while also having some fun. Have a search for some fun activities online and give them a go. You can try balloon animals, making slime, making play dough or search for “printables” – printable activity pages such as crosswords, sudoku, mazes, coloring pages and more.
Is there a corner in your house that you’ve always wanted to look a certain way? Or maybe your room isn’t exactly how you want it to be. Redecorating around the house could be a good way for you and your family to stay busy. Use resources you already have, set up some lights, bring in a plant from outside, paint a wall or even a whole room. There are plenty of ways to make your home look new again.
So that’s 20 more activities worth looking at while you are spending all this newfound time at home. We will offer another 20 tomorrow. Don’t forget to go to the top of the page and sign up for more information directly to your mailbox and share with family and friends.
Having fun yet? I don’t know about you but I may have to buy all new clothes after this sweat pant pandemic is over. And, that darned Easter Bunny didn’t help with laying his/her chocolate eggs all over the place. Yes, I’m still a little bit confused with that concept.
Over the next few days, I will be adding more to the list of things to do while staying at home (over 100 and counting). The best way to access the ideas is to subscribe to my website and the list, along with a number of other things I have planned, will show up in your email automatically. You can do that by adding your info to the right of this posting in the box. Feel free to comment, add ideas and share with your family and friends.
The first thing you should do is to make a schedule. You don’t want to have spent this time doing nothing productive and then end up regretting it when it’s over. So start off by dividing your day into parts and make a tentative schedule that should include both productive and lazy hours. Get a good sleep, and then indulge in activities that make you happy, keep you healthy and add spice to your life.
Cluttered and messy spaces can make us feel overwhelmed and lethargic. If you are working or studying at home choose a spot and organize it like you would any professional office space. A clean and orderly space will up your productivity levels.
Use the extra time you have been granted to de-clutter those spaces that you’ve been meaning to for ages – wardrobes, drawers, kitchen cupboards, spare rooms – the list is endless. Why not turn a spare room into a luxurious walk-in wardrobe / dressing room for yourself, or an office so you don’t have to use the dining table!
Physical activity is not just about keeping fit – it also keeps your energy levels high. With gyms closed, you can go for a walk or a run in the neighborhood as long as you keep away from others. Working out at home is also an option and much easier these days. There are exercise channels on TV and you can follow fun exercise or dance routines on YouTube to keep yourself fit.
4- Stay Socially Connected:
In this day and age I don’t need to tell you to stay connected. Social media is probably everyone’s go-to during this period of isolation. But if you usually find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of texts, emails and notifications, this might be a good time to reconnect with old friends, reply to unanswered texts and clear out your bulging inbox. Engaging with other people, in isolation elsewhere, can be refreshing. Try an app that allows you to meet virtually using the camera on your phone or computer. Make sure you check out what’s safe to use first.
Perhaps helping people is not usually on your schedule, but this might be a good time to self-reflect and see if there’s something more you can be doing. With the elderly most at risk with this virus, you can assist them with getting groceries, medicines, or other necessities they may need. A quick phone call to your neighbor before going to the store may be very appreciated.
There are many people who have lost their source of income due to Covid-19 with no finite end in sight so donating money, clothes, and food to them would be a good idea. Do you have a local food bank or charity who are crying out for supplies? Check with the clothing charities because many have stopped accepting more donations.
It’s not possible to spend every waking hour with our families or roommates, so now that we find ourselves in this situation, it can be hard to keep from snapping. Take some me-time and do things that make you happy alone and suggest the same for the people around you. Creating a balance will prove to be a positive thing. Sometimes implementing a “closed door rule” will allow everyone some space mentally and physically.
Perhaps the hardest part of self-isolation is accepting that this is how it is for now. It will end but the chances are that it will last longer than we expect. Looking forward to next week in the hope that you might be able to get back to normal is not a positive thing. Embrace the circumstances and turn a negative into a positive with the ideas in this and future postings.
Perhaps the most important part about this self-isolation is protecting yourself from contracting Covid-19. Wash your hands as often as you can and advise others around you to do so also. According to the guidelines, each wash should be using soap and hot water and last 20 seconds for it to be effective. Also keep a distance of 2 meters or 6 feet between you and anyone outside your isolation zone that you may come into contact with.
We hear every day on the news about people who seem to not know the rules or be deliberately ignoring them. So while you’re isolating play your part in raising awareness around you on why isolation is important. Raise awareness about Coronavirus on social media, and to those around you about how the virus spreads, what its consequences are, and what precautions you can take to avoid it. Raising awareness is the first step in combatting it.
Does your ‘clothes chair’ have more clothes on it than usual these days? Do you have drawers that are hard to close? It’s probably time to do some tidying around the house, if you normally don’t have the time for it. Clean up the clutter, clear out storage spaces and enjoy the results.
This is probably the best time to mix up some things around your place. Reorganizing spaces can keep you busy and give things a new look. Start by reorganizing your closet, maybe your bedroom, and then move on to places like the kitchen, your living room, or even the garden! Changing the layout of a room can be fun and exciting. You’ll be surprised by the amount of space you can open up if you move things around a little bit.
Does your normal day-to-day routine leave you with little to no time to look after yourself? Well then count this isolation as a blessing. This is probably the best time for you to kick back and relax with a cleansing face mask, your feet soaking in a tub, and indulging in a spa day designed just for you. Let’s face it gentlemen, a shave and a shower may work too.
While you’re pampering, giving yourself a manicure or a pedicure can be relaxing and make you feel good about yourself. Your nails probably need some care after being neglected due to busy schedules so giving them attention now can be quite beneficial and result in nails you can be proud of. Even if you’re not going out why not show them to friends online?
Not many of us have neatly packed folders that house our bills, receipts and certificates. This could be the best time to sort through them and organize them however we like. Order some box files or a small filing cabinet online to neatly order all your paperwork. You’ll thank yourself when the time comes that you need to find that insurance policy or birth certificate!
16- Divide the Chores:
Being house bound is not easy for anyone, and with more people spending more time at home, the number of chores increases considerably. Instead of leaving the majority of the work to someone else, why not make a list and divide the chores around the house amongst everyone at home. If everyone contributes, no-one will feel like they are being taken advantage of.
We don’t mean dunking your phone in a tub of water and scrubbing it to keep it from contracting Covid-19. We mean, clean your phone from all the unnecessary data it may be hoarding. Get rid of your junk emails, all those forwarded pictures and videos from WhatsApp, and those screenshots from conversations you sent to your friends long ago.
Not every email can be deleted – some emails actually need replying to. We are all guilty of having way too many emails in our inboxes that are unopened or ignored. With all this extra time on your hands this would be a great time to clean out your inbox and check for any missed emails from old contacts.
While we know we can’t actually meet our friends while in self-isolation we don’t have to forget their faces while doing so. Facetime someone you miss or send a message on Whatsapp for a group call (you didn’t know that was possible? Well it is and now you have the time to figure out how!)
Let’s face it, we always ‘mean’ to call our grandparents but somehow we don’t seem to get around to it often enough. So what better time than this to call our grandparents who don’t live with us? Catch up with them, keep them busy, and look out for them. Everyone will benefit.
I will have more to say about that tomorrow along with an actual project you might like to undertake that includes prompts and questions to ask.
OK, that’s it for today. If you found an idea worth pursuing, get busy and don’t forget to pass it along to those friends and family who are also self isolating.
