Top 5 Ways to Relax at Home During A Lockdown

It's a great thing that our nation is starting to come together to protect our community and slow the spread of COVID-19. With businesses and schools being closed it is a stressful time across the nation. You may be wondering what you can do to avoid it.

According to the CDC website here are a few things to do to help slow the spread:

• Washing hands with soap and water.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your elbow.
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
• Staying away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.
• Following guidance from public health officials.

With many cities going into full lock down for two weeks or more, we wanted to share a few things you can do at home to maintain some sanity. 

Being a brand about relaxing, we naturally love being at home!  BUT sometimes being inside for too long can make us go stir crazy! While there may be plenty of things to do at home during a lock down, making time to relax during these stressful times will be critical to a happy and healthy you.

Here are our Top 5 Ways to relax at home:

1. REFLECT: Set your 2020 goals! 

You know how you resolved to create that vision board and get everything you wanted to this year? ... but just couldn't find the time to do it? Now you can think of it as some forced time to finally do so with no chance of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) since everyone will be similarly avoiding social gatherings and public places. 

2. MOVE: Yoga

We're literally cooped up for long periods of time which can cause our body to tighten leading to all kinds of discomfort. Furthermore, gyms closing means more sitting for us and tight hips. Tight hip joints can lead to back pain and it tends to be the location in our body where we hold our stress. By taking some time to stretch, move, and balance your body physically, it can also help you mentally to let go of any stress caused by being indoors for a pro-longed time. We recommend adding yoga in for 30 minutes a day. All you need is a towel or rug no extra equipment is needed.

Here is our favorite free routine available on youtube.

3. CLEANSE: Your body and your home

Being confined to your home and in minimal contact with people is also a fantastic time to do a cleanse or a fast. Both are great ways to give your internal organs a break or force a reset for your organs. Many people have described this to provide clarity and energy once the initial slump is over. The demands of our daily lives such as going to work, school, etc. make it hard to keep your energy going when not fed a full meal. Most cleanses and fast require that you do not drink any coffee! With many businesses being forced to close temporarily or workforces deployed to work from home even if you're not your best self, you wouldn't have to face as many people as usual.

It's also the perfect time to reorganize your sock and underwear drawer. It's time for Spring Cleaning anyway! One of our favorite organization gurus Marie Kondo really brings joy to respecting each of your items making it a joy to keep your place tidy. Feel free to read her book the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up or watching her transform people's lives with Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflx. It will surely inspire you to do the same. 

4. CONNECT: via Video chat of course!

Since we need to practice safe social distancing it can be lonely at times. As humans we crave community and socialization so it is important to stay connected to your friends and family. With slightly more flexible schedules and privacy from isolation getting on a video chat should be easier and fun! You can always use Facetime, Google Hangouts, or Zoom which are all free apps you can use.

5. CREATE: Paint, Pick Up Your Instrument, Blog, Craft

Using your hands to create or learn something new taps into the creative side of your brain. While more research needs to be done to quantify this effect, it has been noted by many to cure depression and increase happiness. An article published by CNN states, "Our nervous system is only capable of processing a certain amount of information at a time... That's why you can't listen and understand two people who are talking to you at once. So when someone starts creating, his existence outside that activity becomes temporarily suspended."

By preoccupying your thoughts and focusing on learning and creating you can truly loose yourself in the activity and pause any other stressful thoughts that may be looming on your mind. 

We're sure there are so many other ways to relax and unwind during this quarantine period. What are you doing to help slow the curve of COVID-19? Comment below!