Read

Mindful ways to pass extra time at home

by Michele
March 13, 2020

Need some mindful ways to pass extra time at home?

Some people see this necessary home-time, due to Covid-19, as a bit of a chore. I appreciate that it can be challenging with small children, but I think it’s best to try and see the bright side of this forced exile. There are so many things we don’t get to enjoy about our home life because we are always rushing to get to the next activity, job, dinner, class… now we can SLOW DOWN. Slow down and notice, slow down and enjoy the little things. We can move through our homes and our lives more mindfully, at least for a little while. This time might actually be a great launch pad for a healthy new habit.

Things to do with this time:

Read! Catch up on reading- for pleasure, work or entertainment… there is a special luxury to reading during the day, especially if you can lie in bed or on the couch, or even sneak off to the bath! I got a pile of yoga books from the library the day before they closed- plus a great cookbook, which I have already begun testing! I also LOVE magazines and newspapers— I am an old-school reader, and get great joy from spreading the weekend paper out on the table with a hot cup of coffee. If you DO have kids, try and enforce reading sessions – either shared reading or quiet reading time apart.

Embrace your hobbies If you are into gardening, knitting, painting, baking… do it! Designate a period of time to pull the supplies out and do the thing. I spent a short while in the garden today sussing the jobs- and we will get out as a family over the weekend. I also plan to do some artwork and bake a pie or cake (maybe something from the new cookbook!)

Study As a teacher, I really value learning, and am almost always taking part in some sort of education- I am dabbling with Korean using the Duolingo app, I am doing an online art & symbolism course, and love to pre-do all the Art History I assign to my school students on Khan Academy, which has hundreds of hours of free learning for anyone. I also love doing on-line yoga classes. I am currently doing classes with J.Brown Yoga.

Exercise Of course I am partial to yoga, but I also love to walk my dog, kayak, go for hikes… I am a fair-weather cyclist and love swimming outdoors (under the sun). We can follow an on-line video, we can go for a walk, or we can dust off those dumbbells and get moving. There is no excuse for letting your exercise routine slip just because you cannot meet up to play football or attend your class in person. This goes for kids too— play chase, get out in the garden, exercise together.

DIY Most of us have a to-do list of jobs that need doing around the house. Maybe you were waiting for a long weekend, Easter break or the summer… but NOW, you can do them now! Paint, repair, de-clutter, Spring clean, do your tax return… My husband will be making a photo book of our Christmas holiday. Make a list, and start ticking them off! You will feel so satisfied.

Rest This is different for all of us, but simply moving slower, finding your breath throughout the day, maybe adding meditation, a warm bath or a nap in the mix! If you are sick, rest. If you are tired, rest. If you have been looking at a screen for more than 2-hours straight, rest. Take a break.

In the end, we all want to come away from this with out HEALTH… and the thought of not being able to maintain our health, or of damaging our loved ones health, really reminds us of what is important in life.

So, enjoy those things, relish in the slow times, do real activities with your family and be mindful during the upcoming weeks. We can only watch SO much Netflix.