The Upside of This Forced Downtime

With the current retrictions on most activity, an in some areas even leaving the house, mindset is the key to making it though this challenging time. It can be seen as a reason to stay in pajamas and binge watch tv and social media – and some days that’s just what you might need.  On the flip side, it can also be the motivation to start a new hobby, clean out the basement, or catching up on any of the myriad of to dos that are neglected when the rest of our  world is moving full speed ahead. 

The same goes for the way we eat. With our cupboards and shelves (most likely) overstocked, and more time indoors, it would be all to easy to eat our way through the pandemic – and the afore mentioned tv shows . On the other hand, with the absence of your usual distractions, it’s a great time to experiment with new recipes, giving more thought to what you eat, and initiating new, healthier habits. Not to mention that the better you eat, the healthier you are, and a healthy body increases your ability to ward off illness. 

But what if you really want to stay in pajamas with a cup of tea and your laptop? Make some of that time online benefit your future self:  look up those healthy recipes, plan your meals and snacks in advance – and include input from other family members. Meal prep and cooking is a great way to bring everyone together and those new, healthier habits are most likely to to take hold when everyone has a say. You could even supplement that meal plan with a new full body workout (meaning no equipment needed), that you can easily implement at home. As an added bonus, a lot of gyms and fitness professionals are making their online workouts available for free during this time).

As the world around us temporarily gets smaller, I encourage you to think about all the ways in which it also expands your options.  For the time being our calendars are less complicated and our must-do lists are shorter. Ask yourself when you come out the other side of this what would you like to have to show for this gift of forced downtime? Then use today to start making it happen.