The Gift of Time at Home

It goes without saying that coronavirus is causing huge disruptions in all of our lives, and it may extend much longer than we’d like.  But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Being forced to stay home does not have to be uncomfortable, tense, anxiety producing, boring or unproductive.  When we are forced to stop our usual routines, there are blessings to be had. It’s just a question of whether we choose to take advantage of them.

Believe it or not, time at home can be extremely productive and satisfying. We, in the 21^st century, are beginning to be aware of the energy dimension and the different perspectives it offers.  We also have many different kinds of digital help, which we can now harness to great benefit in this time of crisis.

Here are some ideas on how to use your time well. Not all of these will necessarily appeal to you, but choose the ones that spark your interest and excitement.  There is something for everyone.

1.  Reach out by phone, Facetime, Skype, texting, email or even snail mail, (letters and cards are quite special today because they are so rare).  Ironically, social distancing gives us the time and opportunity to do more connecting.  Even if we are isolated in space, we can increase our emotional ties to others, something badly needed and much appreciated.

Think about all those people with whom you’ve meant to connect but haven’t because of your hectic schedule, and then reach out in all the digital and non-digital ways available today. Gentle words and willing ears can go a long way toward bringing calm and reducing fear.

2.  Be kind.  With all of us cooped up in our houses and apartments, close quarters can be confining and tempers short. This is where leadership counts.  Do not let fear and anxiety take over.  Instead, take a positive leadership position in your home. 

Whether you look at this situation as an opportunity or a curse will profoundly affect those who live with you, and what happens next, (see Negative Beauty . . ).  People (even children) love challenges, and will rise to the occasion when you explain why their attitudes and behavior are important, and how much they can help.

This crisis will probably cause far more economic pain than physical suffering.  If you are threatened with economic risk, try to trust that things will be OK even if you don’t know how.  This crisis is exposing economic injustices that need to be exposed, and will ultimately be a good thing.  Your anxiety will not help you or your loved ones, but your positive expectations can help attract good things to you and to the world, (see Changing Your Expectations).

Our neighbors, friends and family will need help.  Whether it’s going to the store or watching their kids or donating money or goods, let’s reach out and help, with whatever we are capable of doing, while still keeping ourselves and others safe. In my community, there are Facebook groups being organized to help musicians, servers and other gig workers who may have lost their income.  Look around and see how you can help.

This crisis is reminding us that we are now living in a global village.  Neither xenophobia nor walls are appropriate or effective.  We are all in this together, and we all need to cooperate and collaborate for the safety and well-being of everyone. 

3.  Clean and organize your living environment.  I am not the greatest housekeeper – there are so many more interesting things to do.  But at this time, I am finding myself increasingly interested in cleaning and organizing my living environment.  Thinking about it actually makes me feel energized and excited (very strange!). 

This may well be because crises of this kind usually denote huge energetic changes underway on the planet, and if the planet is undergoing changes, you can bet, we, as individuals, are also experiencing internal transformations even if we are not consciously aware of them. Cleaning and reordering our living spaces is often symbolic of big changes going on inside.  Think about cleaning, organizing, decluttering, cleaning out closets, releasing what you are no longer using, and see how you respond energetically.

4.  Exercise, both outdoors and indoors.  Social distancing does not necessarily mean staying indoors.  During the Spanish flu, one of the only things that seemed to help patients was being taken outdoors to sit in the sun.  Just sitting on your deck or balcony in the sun can be helpful. Outdoor air can be less problematic than constantly circulating air in a building.

While living in a major urban area may preclude exercising outdoors, those of us who live in small towns or in the country can always walk without coming close to others. Driving to places with lots of open space is also a possibility for many. Bicycling is a great form of solitary exercise for anyone anywhere.

For those unable to go outside to exercise, there are lots of exercise videos and YouTube programs on different kinds of exercise modalities.  (For apartment dwellers, running up and down stairwells will really get your blood flowing).

Staying at home can lull us into physical inaction, but our bodies need to move to stay healthy.  We also know that exercise produces mood enhancers in the brain, something we can all use right now.

5. Start or intensify a meditation or quiet time routine.  Meditation has been shown to have positive physical health benefits as well as decrease stress and anxiety, among other benefits.  What could be better for us at this time! 

For those who don’t have a meditation routine, there are many different kinds of meditation available today, again with directions and tutorials on the web.  Mindfulness Meditation is a form of meditation developed especially for those of us in the West.  It just asks you to sit quietly, breathe deeply and monitor your thoughts, becoming aware of them, then gently letting them go until the next thought comes along. 

Simple deep breathing (four counts in, hold for four counts, four counts out, then hold for four) stimulates the vagus nerve, releasing mood enhancing chemicals and strengthening the immune system. Try it for a short time and then increase the length.

6. Learn something new. Most of us have long lists of things we would like to know but haven’t had time to sit down and learn. Have you always wanted to learn a foreign language?  (Duolingo is a free app that allows you to learn just about any language.) What about that accounting program you really need but never got around to learning?  Interested in finding out where you came from?  Genealogy websites abound.  Top colleges and universities like Harvard and MIT have free courses available online.  Access to the web makes it possible for us to learn just about anything. Now we have time to do it.

7.  Create, create, create!  There is nothing the soul craves more than creating.  Many of us have cabinets full of arts and craft projects we have intended to do someday.  If you think you are not an artist, you are deluding yourself.  We all have hidden talents, and creativity is not confined simply to what we call fine arts. 

This is also another opportunity to learn something new.  Is there an art, craft or instrument that you’ve always wanted to learn? If so, there is sure to be a YouTube tutorial for that.  Zen Doodle is a kind of doodle art we all can learn easily and enjoy.  Creating nourishing meals for yourself and your family is a wonderful gift to both you and them, with recipes for any ingredients you can think of online.  Play music, sing and dance (which is also great exercise and a mood enhancer).

You can make greeting cards with card-stock and household odds and ends. Small remodeling projects in your home like rearranging furniture, a new coat of paint or stripping that old wallpaper count as creating as well.  There are also projects like organizing family photos in acid free albums, or dreaming up a new program to offer your workplace when you go back to work.  Even though it’s still winter in many parts of the US, we can plan now for outdoor projects when the weather is better.

These and many more are all things that get our creative juices flowing.  Creating is always a good way to exchange stress and anxiety for fun and relaxation. And it makes the soul sing.!

8.  Reflect.  Most important, this is a time to do some reflection. Where are we in our lives right now, and where do we want to go?  Are we in balance and harmony with our social, professional, personal and physical environments?  Is it time to make some changes, and if so, what? 

Isn’t it interesting that the whole world is shutting down – a time to stop, rest and reflect. What is this telling us? 

Staying at home does not mean we have to be disengaged, even though it’s tempting to get lost in things like gaming or binge watching TV.  It is instead an opportunity to slow down, connect with others, practice kindness, be creative, move more, take stock of our lives, and perhaps make some changes that we’ve put off for too long, or didn’t even realize we needed to make. 

Being fully engaged with life strengthens the immune system and helps protect us from disease. Staying at home and slowing down are opportunities for raising our awareness in all kinds of areas. The universe is providing a huge “Stop” sign.  It’s saying, “Stop, take a deep breath, and become aware!”.

This time is precious!  Use it wisely.

For more on energy and the energy dimension, see my book, “It’s All About Energy: Adventures in Expanded Reality”, available on Amazon, at local bookstores and on my website, www.transformationalexpansion.com