Hey June! What a crazy six months it has been so far. It's hard to think my year started out with a cruise to Cozemel and a spontaneous trip to North Carolina with my son and then quickly turned into the unexpected. If 2020 has taught us anything, it has been a message of change. Everything in everyone's life and lifestyle has changed worldwide. From the way we eat, work, educate, celebrate and now start to rebuild. We've been hearing the words mental health for a while now but lately more than ever. With so much going on right now taking a much-needed break from the media either on television, the internet, or social media is necessary. It's so easy to get completely overwhelmed really fast. I've had to learn how to step away, refocus and recharge. There has been at least five things I've been doing during the week to keep a clear headspace.
Fix up my room - Having a clean space can help you clean your mind. I took the time to declutter and organize my room during the quarantine period to help me clear the slate, sort of speak, on what would be my new normal. First I thought about the items I really wanted to organize and mastered that, one section at a time. From nail polish to shoes I found some great organizational products, tips, and tricks browsing Pinterest and Amazon. I still have a few areas I still need to tend to, but I'm proud of the progress that I've made.
When "outside" was open I used to love going to the gym, it became a place of escape for me, where I can recharge and reset. Even though my gym is closed, I've been still trying to keep myself in some type of fitness routine. So, I went out to the store and brought whatever at-home fitness items I could find, which wasn't a lot, but I was a start. I found new fitness routines and programs to try through friends, Pinterest and YouTube and didn't give up. Not only did this keep up my healthy lifestyle, but also gave me an instant mood booster. Even if you don't have the right equipment or the space, go for a walk and get moving.
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Working on my creative outlet - Something I've been wanting to do lately is get back to blogging. When I was working, I hardly had time to think, let alone sit down and write anything. Life was hectic and I always was on the move. This downtime gave me the opportunity I needed to get back to remembering my creative space. I missed the blogger. It started out as a hobby for me, something to create and showcase as my own, but somehow I let it go and let other things consume my time. After being home all day, I taught myself to turn off, shut down, and create and imagine. I know the challenge will come when life speeds up again, but hopefully this is the training I need to learn how to manage my time wisely and to balance it all out later.
Learning a new language - Another thing I've always wanted to learn is another language. I did take Spanish in high school and I still remember some but I wanted to really expand on what I knew. So I download an app called Droplets and got to work. Currently, I'm at 440 words and I'm so proud of myself! The app is free to download, but if you want more practice time for each session, you can pay a one-time fee. There are also tons of other free language learning apps if this is something you're interested in. Not only will this help me at work but also when I get back to traveling again.
Reconnecting with friends and family. Time waits for no one before you know it, it's been months since you last seen your friends and loved ones. Catching up with your crew and checking in on your relatives is necessary during these tough times. In my circle, we've been going out for nature walks, Zoom calls, phone calls, and parking lot meetups to keep everyone spirits high and to check in on each other.
As we start a new month and new season, let's make sure we take care of each other and take care of ourselves. As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your support.
