I am hearing over and over, “Enough already.” Enough of the cold, quarantining, the boredom, the same walls around me. We have been doing this for a year now and we are tired. What do you have in your coaching bag of tricks to make this better, Laura?
“Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
I have been on the hunt for ideas since the onset of the Polar Vortex. Magical mindset is the answer. “As if…” I explored the idea of how to make our home feel vibrant and interesting after living here for 20 years. I’ve decided to be here “as if” it were an AirBnB. What do I appreciate about this home? What feels spacious? On vacation, I do the dishes as fast as I can to get back to the vacation feeling. Magic. It becomes a quick task before choosing a favorite vacation activity. I love reading on vacation, so I have my stack ready to cozy up with in the evenings. This mindset of pretend opens up a fresh get away feeling without any change on the exterior. The change is how I view things. I notice color and beauty in a way that everyday life does not elicit. Other ways to create a stay-cation experience:
putting a Pandora mix on that you haven’t listened to in awhile
cooking out of the freezer (doubles as cleaning out and a culinary adventure)
changing up your reading
appreciate surroundings with fresh eyes by looking for beauty
focus on the mystery of the day “I wonder what will happen”
transform “to-do’s” to “get to’s”
notice nature from the armchair and really watch the goings on outside
play games with the family (dust off some old ones and enjoy the laughter)
library DVD’s on travel around the world
What do you need to beat the winter/quarantine blues?
My heart says to slow down. Move how I can. Don’t push so hard. Create ease. Notice beauty. Appreciate relationships. Breathe in. Breath out.
My head wants to delight, not fight the winter. I am still figuring things out in the February cold when the polar vortex descends. My gut says, “March is around the corner.” Start seeds. Gardens will wake up. Spring is just around the bend. In the meantime, keep the hearth stoked. Hope. This will change. Honor the quiet while you have it.
On a more serious note, there is a lot to grieve and process this year. Stay with the work of being with what it is. Do not shy away from the truth to numb, mask or bury the hardships that might be happening. Talk it out, write it out in a journal, make art, allow movement into your experience. The best gift you can give yourself is wellness of body, mind, and spirit. Here are some prompts for your authentic response of finding peace and wellness.
What traditions have felt meaningful in your life?
Where have you found peace?
What comfort can you offer yourself that produces a lightness within?
What routine can support wellness of your whole self?
Namaste,
Laura