How are you feeling right now? In this unreal time.
Worried? Overwhelmed? Isolated? Not enough "you" time? Too much "you" time?
We're all going through this time of staying home in our own way.
Some will throw habits out the window for their sanity. Others will stick closely to their daily routine for their sanity. Just like with the food we choose to eat, there is no good or bad way to handle this new routine that we find ourselves in.
I will challenge you though, to think of how you can support yourself. Particularly with food. While the goal around your food choices is never perfection, it can be to do the best you can in that particular moment.
What if the store is out of your favorite go-to foods? What if you were just getting into changing your eating habits and then everything got wiped off the shelves and you want to give up? What if there are days when you just want to eat a bag of cookies and lay on the couch? What if it feels like too much to cook yet another dinner?
Well, sometimes you just have to let go a little (or a lot). When we get thrown out of our routine, however severe, we get to choose how long we hang out off the path or how quickly we find a new path.
What are some habits that you have been able to stick with? (The little things count! Sitting down to eat, drinking water etc.)
What are some habits that you haven't stuck with but you really miss?
What are some things you'd like to try adding into your new routine?
Here are a few ideas that I've gathered. Note that some are not food related, but I’m sure you’ll find all health habits are intertwined:
Cook while on video with a friend - have fun while meal prepping!
Turn some music on while cooking. I really like the French Cooking station on Pandora. It almost feels like you're traveling.
Try some new recipes (Like from the non-perishable recipe booklet in my newsletter). Get creative with the food you have access to, which may not be your normal go-to choices.
Keep batches of ready-to-go food on hand: cooked quinoa or rice, canned beans, hard-boiled eggs, batch of roasted vegetables, batch of cooked chicken. Throw a few of these together, maybe add a sauce like pesto, and you have a meal!
Get out for a walk daily. Bonus if you're in nature and sun!
Allow yourself to have a slow morning: Is that enjoying your favorite beverage? Sitting down to breakfast? Enjoying the sun (or rain)? Moving your body?
Take time for lunch. Get away from electronics. Sit outside if you can!
Turn off electronics earlier than usual at night.
Take some deep breaths throughout the day: before you eat, while eating, when you feel like you're going stir-crazy at home etc. Try setting a “time to breathe” reminder.
One of my clients who is newly working from home told me that she gets dressed every day and then walks around the block to "go to work." That made me smile. She's really doing what she can to make the best out of the situation and stick to a (new) routine.
So now that we have the newest update that we'll be continuing to stay at home until May...
What small (or big) changes would you like to commit to during this time?