Ok. So maybe I’m being a bit egotistical by calling ourselves experts. But we are DEFINITELY experienced in this topic.
My husband and I have been active duty military for a combined 21 years and let me tell you- we get it. The government has been ruining our plans for years, minimum once a year. Remember that one time we were supposed to have a wedding reception? Or that one time we never knew if we’d deploy or not? Or that other time they said sorry, change of plans, we need you in the field tomorrow for the next 2 weeks and my husband had to overnight drive two dogs to me in Alabama?
Ok- maybe we do qualify as experts.
In any case- unpredictability and “being flexible” (aka don’t trust in any of your plans until they’re actually happening), is pretty much how we live our daily lives.
So we got you. And in this week’s episode of “The Government Ruined My Plans: Every US Citizen” at least we all know a few things are for sure: we’re all staying home, we’re not flying, and we better pray our wifi doesn’t go out.
So let’s get to the real meat and potatoes here- how are you going to stay sane when the whole world looks like it’s on the verge of insanity? Well here it is ladies and gentlemen: Your Top 10.
The Top 10 List
- Move your body. This is my #1 for a reason. It has NOTHING to do with your body. Moving your body is all about your mind. I know that right now isn’t the time to go to the gym. But I have multiple options for you:
- Autumn Rauchwerk. This woman is one of the most amazing people I met in college. You know when people just inspire you by being who they are? That’s Autumn. She is an extremely knowledgeable yoga instructor and nutrition counselor. And she’s offering live stream yoga classes for a donation. Join her Zoom meeting and use this Meeting ID: 616 860 259
- Fitnessblender. I love this website. This is a husband and wife team so have tons of at home workouts. You can filter by time, equipment, part of your body you want to focus on. There are endless options.
- Peloton is offering a free 90 days of at home workouts, just make sure you cancel before the 90 days are up if you don’t want to continue
2. Make a new recipe. Gone are the days of going out to eat. But that doesn’t mean we have to be bored in the kitchen. There are so many free recipes out there! My suggestion: keep your food nutritious. I know I’m not alone in this: my body actually feels crappy when I eat crappy food. And then my mind starts to feel crappy too. Especially when I’m spending more time indoors. So pick a new recipe with some yummy clean ingredients. I promise, good for you good can still taste good for you too. Find some awesome recipes at some of my favorites bloggers
From left to right: JustJessieB, TheDefinedDish, PhysicalKitchness
And of course, me 🙂
3. Also learn that you don’t need a recipe and master the joy of Winging It From Your Pantry. This is something I used to be awful at. And then my lack of planning caught up with me and now I’ve become an expert at winging it. If you have a good spice cabinet, then you’ve got everything you need. Throw a veggie and potatoes in the oven to roast. Slice up some chicken with green pepper and onion and toss it in the oven to bake for fajitas. Slice up some sauces and chicken breast and saute with some tomato sauce. Wing it- you got this!
4. Enjoy some trivia. Did you used to go to once a week trivia at the bar? Well, I have the perfect thing for you! Another one of my amazing friends from college, Kacie Hackett, is absolutely hysterical and leading a virtual trivia, Distantly Social Trivia. Sign up at the link, donate $5 and the top 2 people/teams will win gift cards so a local restaurant/store of their choosing. The rest will be donated to the Washington Restaurant Relief Fund. She’s hysterical. The trivia will be amazing. And you can drink virtually with friends but don’t have to wear pants so it’s pretty much a win win.
5. Go outside. If you have a yard, please go outside. Your yard is protected from others just like your house is. Sunlight is good for our souls and our mind. Play outside with your kids. Play outside with your dogs. Or just take your book outside and enjoy it- see #6 for more details.
6. Read a book. Remember all those times you said you were going to read more when you had time. Well now, my friends, you have time. Turn off the TV, turn up the Alexa jazz playlist, put on a candle and read a good book. Or two or three. Here’s some of my recent favorites/what I’m reading now for inspo.
7. Organize, Organize, Organize the crap out of your house. Does organizing bring anyone else just so much joy? Or is it just me? I seriously love when everything has it’s place. Take it one room at a time, first the bathroom, then the kitchen pantry, next day the fridge, etc. This will not only make you feel better but will also help break up your day and get you moving inside your house. The Home Edit has a 14 day mini edit on their blog to follow if you need more guidance! And Happy Homemaking has a great 14 day guide guide too!
8. Journal. I think now is probably an amazing time to write. I honestly don’t love to journal. I have this constant need to always be “doing something” and so journaling feels like I’m “not doing enough” with this time. But during one very long Army training, I took 30 minutes to write my husband a note every day, and it actually turned out to me more of my journaling. I wrote down all of my feelings, what I did that day, my goals, anything that came to my head. And actually that was the moment I decided I was going to commit and run a marathon- and I did! You never know what will come of journaling how you’re doing on the daily.
9. Marcopolo everyone. Seriously Marcopolo is my favorite . You can send video back and forth walkie talkie style. I used it almost daily to stay in touch with my nieces while I was stationed in Korea. It’s such a few way to keep in contact with friends because they can watch it and respond whenever they get a free moment!
10. Be proud to be a Grandma and go to bed early! We constantly talk about not getting enough sleep. Now we literally have no excuse. Take care of yourself, put the phone down, turn the TV off and get 8 hours of sleep.
11. BONUS: Love on your family. Give your significant other, roommate, kids, dogs some extra love. Take this moment to just take a step back, slow down, and focus on what’s important at the core.
I hope this helps! When all else fails, go back to number 11. Honestly that’s what gets us through the unpredictability. As people who live a life where sometimes it feels like the only predicable thing is unpredictability, it helps me to always try to stay centered, focus on what I can control (my movement, my nutrition, showing love to the people that I can) and remind myself of what I’m grateful for. These things keep us grounded.