Hello everyone!
How is everyone holding up amidst this crazy time? I genuinely hope that things are not too tough on you all and if they are then I hope that this small blog post will spark your creativity and maybe put a smile on your face or your loved ones.
`I am blessed that I am able to be ‘stuck’ here in Australia with not only my husband and my son, but my mother and father. I also have access to my fathers spacious backyard and my mothers irresistible Thai food and so you will not hear any complaints from me about self isolating at home.
I am aware however that many of you are living in apartments or condos in places such as Dubai and Thailand and so it is a bit more stressful occupying the seamlessly endless time that comes with self isolating.
And those of you who have babies and toddlers … I see you.
So I came up with a few tips and ideas of what I myself have been doing during my self isolation with my family at home and hopefully you can take a few of them and apply them to your household.
Bear in mind that not all of my ‘ideas’ are necessarily things that you will jump up to do out of excitement, however I think they are important to do if applicable to you and you will be thankful that you did them later down the track.
- Declutter your space.
So many times those occasions such as, The New Year, Spring Cleaning or moving houses can spark our desire to clean and declutter but how many times do we actually go through with it? Not very often right?
Why not use the time at home to get rid of those old clothes that no longer fit you, move that dressing table that you have been complaining about or create your new babies nursery or bedroom that you’ve been putting off?
Not only will you be proud of yourself for getting it done but you can take your time doing it, and actually do it properly this time.
2. Clean out socially.
I will be the first to admit that I have an inbox full of subscriptions that I don’t know the names of, photos of random things in my phone that I no longer care for and ‘friends’ on my social media who I have no interest in and I’m pretty sure they don’t care for me either.
So if some of these apply to you then instead of scrolling around on your phone then de friend those who don’t care for you, delete those pointless emails that are taking up your inbox space and unsubscribe to them while you’re at it.
3. Get creative.
Whether it be for yourself or your family, the ability to be creative is within all of us. It’s just that some people are more attracted to producing creativity and so it is easier for them.
Why not use this time to try some more DIY within your house, build a little cubby house out of an old box for your little one, make your own sensory box with those items that you found when you decluttered your house, it could even be as simple as writing your thoughts down every morning or bullet journalling.
Your mind will thank you for it and so will your bank. Win win.
4. Get as messy as you can.
Now this one applies to those who have access to a garden of sorts, but you can still do this if you have a small balcony or space.
Gardening is not only good for the soul and belly, ( depending on what you decide to grow ), but also great so you can be out in the sun soaking up that Vitamin D which will in turn make you happier.
Plant herbs such as; coriander, shallots, basil etc, as these are some of the most expensive herbs to purchase and most of the time we never use them all before they go bad! Alternate with some pretty bright flowers and you have yourself a garden that you can be proud of and your kids will love to be a part of it too!
Teaching them the process of how to prepare the soil for planting, seeding, all the way through to harvesting will really allow them to appreciate the end result at the dinner table and hopefully spark their interest of the joys of being outdoors.
5. Get your Masterchef on.
Hopefully you managed to find all your old cookbooks and Martha Stewart magazines when you decluttered your home, and so why not try to create those recipes that you have bookmarked or screenshot on your phone?
It will obviously improve your creativity in the kitchen and you can get your kids involved with those tedious cooking/baking tasks that we adults dread to do. I’m talking about sifting flour and separating spring roll wrappers you know what I mean?
6. Family time.
In such a time of uncertainty and fear we should all be taking the time to send a quick message to our friends and family to let them know that they are in our thoughts. Pick up your phone and call that old friend of yours from high school that you think of often, or even go old school and write a letter to your Aunt or family member that you don’t often speak to. You know that it will not just make their day but their whole year and you will feel good for reaching out.
7. Read and learn.
Do you have a book shelf full of books that you swore to read and never have?
Or maybe you have an online course you have been meaning to start or a language you’ve always wanted to be able to speak?
There is no time like the present. Get your family and kids involved with some of it and you can even test yourself at the dinner table and make a game out of who paid the most attention to Arabic lessons today. The reward for the winner could be an extra blueberry muffin that you made that day, now that your’e a pro in the kitchen of course.
8. Be present.
If you find that you do none of these things but instead opt for a more relaxing isolation period then embrace that too!
I don’t know your personal circumstances. Maybe you have been working a full time job plus overtime for the past few years and this is literally the first time that you have been able to just sit and be still with your thoughts.
You do you and be happy with that.
Make time for yourself above all and please remember to be grateful. There is so much negativity and evilness in our world nowadays that all of us could do with a little kindness and positivity from each other.
I hope you are all staying safe, staying home and trying to make the most of this time.
Sending so much love to you all!
Love, Jessica Cairney.
