At this point into this Covid-19 crisis most of us our stuck in our homes with little to no going out.  Luckily we have things like Netflix, grocery delivery, and most of all internet!  So many cool online opportunities have popped up in the past week or so including online live classes through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Zoom.  You can learn anything you want right now from the comfort of your home and with all this new-found time you've got... dance, workouts, crafts, cooking, really anything!  Being a dancer, fitness instructor, and YouTuber, I of course jumped on the bandwagon, offering online dance and workout classes as well as new live YouTube and Instagram daily workouts.  Being a suburban stay-at-home mom with a young child I was also  excited that a lot of my favourite dancers and fitness pros were now offering online sessions and I could actually take classes with them without having to find childcare or leave my home (I would've loved this even if we weren't in lockdown, but this is what made it happen).  People are also holding all sorts of online meet-ups with friends and family... tea times, wine hangouts, zoom karaokes, etc.  which I think are great when many people may be feeling alone and isolated.   With all this new online awesomeness out there all of a sudden, there is a temptation to feel like you have to do it all - I'm here to tell you YOU DON'T!  Normally someone might take a class or two  a week if they were lucky, now I feel people are signing up for a few a day, making an overwhelming schedule for themselves!  This is a tough time and I believe in a bit of routine, working out daily, eating well, spending quality time with your kids/family, as well as just sitting back and enjoying this strange moment in time in your home - you may never have another period of time like this in your life!  If you're feeling empty and bored a few fun online activities you can participate in can help, but also try to look inside and figure out why you're empty and bored, now that there are less outside distractions things may become crystal clear.  What do you want your life to be about? Deep thoughts...  Try to really figure out how to make the best of this time and enjoy it, rather than distracting yourself completely and not looking within.  I believe everything happens for a reason and maybe this is happening so we can pause and really figure some things out!  You don't need to book your whole day with classes, meet-ups, phone conversations, organizing... you can just be... this is the perfect time to try doing less and not being stressed about it.

Same goes for your kids... I constantly see people having whole days of homeschooling, crazy routines for their kids, recess bells, etc. at home already!  March Break just ended for us here (they wouldn't have had school anyways until this week, it's not like we're WAY behind).  Plus when everyone gets back to school, the whole world will have had the same experience, your child won't be the only one who fell behind through these coronavirus weeks or months.  This is a crazy experience for your kids too and I don't think they (or you) need to start full-blown homeschooling at this point!  Everyone's different, but I'm finding learning naturally happening for both my boys through all sorts of fun activities that we now have the time to do together through this time... cooking, working out, cleaning, crafts, reading, making vision boards, etc.

Maybe because everyone is basically living online these days, people have a lot of time to write and read posts/videos/etc. and this has caused a lot of pressure and overwhelm for people to do too much through this trying time.  Let's all remember that this is a very unique situation and we need to have a lot of grace for ourselves and the people around us.  Not everything is right for everyone.  You do what works for you and let others do what works for them, let's support each other through this and try as much a possible to stay calm and happy!

It's official, here in Canada we are pretty much in lockdown (or should be) to try to contain this nasty Covid-19 situation.  People are stressed, panicked, stock-piling supplies, it's scary stuff when you think about it all!  And with the whole staying at home forever (and not even really knowing when this will all be over), people are worried about losing their incomes, entertaining and educating children, food (and toilet paper?!) supply, getting sick, and most importantly staying sane through this!!!  So many things are out of our control at this point so this blog post is about how you can ease your anxiety and worry by finding some routine in this new life and control the things you can control!  

1. BREATHE!  Just find some calm and breathe, whether it's through meditation, yoga, music, taking a nap, or just finding a moment and actually taking some deep, cleansing breaths!  Try to find a few moments a day for this!

2. ROUTINE - now that most of us are at home 24/7, our routine is all messed up... Make a new routine on your own or with your family depending on your situation.  Make time for specific activities you want to do!  Think of all the things you've wanted to do, but had no time for... decluttering and organizing the basement, getting super-fit, learning to cook new dishes, spending more time with your family, spoiling your pets, learning to play the guitar, reading more, starting a YouTube channel, the list goes on and on I'm sure!  Take advantage of this new found time and schedule these things into your day, every day!  If you're having trouble, try writing a schedule down for yourself, or start small by doing one thing every day at a certain time for a week, then add another the next week, etc.

3. DON'T STOP THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY - Make sure to keep doing the things that feed your soul!  You might have to modify how you do them, but figure out a way to get it in your life from home.  Whether it's taking an online class instead of going to your regular in-person one, meeting up with friends online instead of in-person, figuring out an at-home workout rather than going to the gym, making new recipes at home rather than eating out, etc.  Get creative and make sure you don't just give into lying on the couch binge watching Netflix (some of this is expected and fun, but too much of not doing your real favourite things will make you sad in the long-run!)

4. BE GRATEFUL for all that is beautiful in your life!  We can all find SO many things to be grateful for!  We often forget about all these blessings when we get scared and worried about something like Coronavirus.  Start and end every day thinking of or even writing down or discussing with others all the things you are thankful for in your life right now!

5. CHOOSE HEALTH! It's easy to wanna give up a bit playing video games and living on chips and muffins, but what's going to up your immunity as well as make you feel one hundred times better physically and mentally is eating a healthy balanced diet, taking a few extra vitamins or greens drinks, and getting some physical activity into your day!

WHAT DO YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER?
Everything with the world may feel so out-of-control right now, but being at home gives you lots of new things you now are  in total control of which can definitely make you feel calmer and more relaxed about all the things that are out of your control... food, workouts, music, most of all attitude!!!  Make sure you are using that control and figure out what you want your lockdown life to look like, then make it happen!  I am looking at this time as a hiatus from some of the stresses of real-life, almost like a long spa weekend or a vacation where I can explore areas of my life that sometimes get forgot about in all the hustle and bustle of real life!