Self isolation and self care.

Does everyone else feel like they have been at home forever…?  I have never been this lazy for this long in my life – it’s kind of weird.  And all those times that I wished that I had time to get all those jobs done – now that I have time, I am astonished at how little actually gets achieved.  None of this is unusual.  Most of us are realising that the old adage “if you want something done, ask a busy person” is true.  I have time on my hands and I am getting less done than ever before.  

I am turning this around slowly.  Every day I try to achieve some small task.  Being as I am at home, trying to keep the kids’ home schooling moving along, I am getting to those small home tasks that I might have put off before now.  I let myself sleep in a little.  I read the paper.  I get the kids ready.  I clean something.  I put something away.  I set myself small achievable goals.  

I walk every day – some days further than others.  Every morning when I get up, I let the dog in, and he runs to the front door and flicks the dog lead and looks at me, as if to let me know that he is ready, just in case I might not have realised.  Eventually he recognises that we are not rushing out for a (don’t say the word) “W” and goes to sleep on my bed.  We do two long walks each week, around 10-12kms, and something shorter most other days.  I think he finds it a bit exhausting having us all home all the time.  He is loving the company though.  I might have to make time to take him out more often than usual when I get back to work.  

I exercise every morning (well, six days per week – no-one needs to be a martyr to their fitness on a Sunday morning), just two minutes of ab crunches and pushups while I wait for the kettle to boil.  I am starting doing a legs / core workout every second day – it takes around 45 minutes and raises my heart rate to a cheerful level.  The first time I did it, I had not exercised for around a month and my legs were significantly sore the next week.  Proved just how much I need to exercise, so now I am back to regular work.  My thanks to my kids’ circus coach, Rosa, for her fitness track!  #circartsfit

I don’t drink alcohol during the week.  For a week or two I did struggle to realise that day it was and when every day feels like a Sunday, it’s hard to see the reason not to enjoy a Sunday afternoon beverage.  I am getting back to resisting that stage.  It’s not that I think having a glass of wine is bad.  But I am more lazy if I drink every day.  I put on weight, I achieve less, and ultimately this costs me my health.  So I don’t drink four nights midweek.  It’s an easy compromise.  

I go to work every afternoon.  Sometimes I go in and get on with filing all the product information which I have been putting off doing forever.  I got ahead on my tax.  I clean the office every day, even if no-one has been in except me.  The virus has taught us a lot about maintaining a high regard for hygiene, which is probably useful for all sorts of other communicable bugs.  

Listening to audible books and podcasts is a great way to keep my focus on learning and staying in the moment of taking in new information.  I have a few favourite podcasters who are amazing at sharing up to date information and great research.  I have also realised that I do enjoy having both a physical book to add notes too, and listening to the audible books, to take in the information more easily, so for the books with lots of information, I end up buying them twice.  I don’t mind buying good books.  If I find a great book, I often buy multiple copies so that I can give them out to people.  Sharing good books is a gift to the giver, as well as the receiver and a way of letting the author know how valued they are.  

I might share some favourite books in another blog.  

I have an epiphany the other day that this self isolation will come to an end and I might be sad that I didn’t use my time more wisely.  But I appreciate every day as it comes.  This time of lazy morning starts, and time to listen to the stories of my kids, and walks with my dog – it will cease.  I will return to the grind of getting up and getting on with making my business grow and flourish.  And I am hoping that this time in social hibernation will teach me to appreciate down time and busy time and social grouping and the joy in friends.  

Every morning, I read the newspaper and I mentally count my blessings as I read of the number of people who have died or entered hospital, and how many people are no longer able to enjoy every day as I do, and I hug my kids a little harder, and walk a little further, and take my vitamins and get good sleep, and I accept that life is good, and life is not fair, and that is all that I need to know.  

Enjoy each day.  Do your best to be kind and understanding to those around you.  Appreciate friends and family.  Learn to value health over money.  And stop and smell the roses every day. 

EA

20/4/20

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *