Bouncing off of last week’s post on getting back into yoga, I made a list of commitments to myself at the start of this year that have stuck around through the first month of 2022. These habits aren’t necessarily new ones that I am embarking on for the first time. Actually, none of these are. They are habits that I once had, but lost due to the highly unusual last several years we have all experienced together.
Closing Activity Rings
If you’re not an Apple Watch owner, this probably doesn’t mean anything to you. Closing the rings on your Apple Watch simply means that you have met your daily goal to stand, move, and exercise. I have modest goals set on my watch, but it’s surprising how often I have spent weekends completely immobile. While time to vegetate and rest is absolutely crucial, I know that I need to move during the day to combat that guilt that is always paired with rest. Giving myself the attention and love that I need includes taking care of my physical body.
Not Eating Out (as much)
I am and have always been someone who eats out often. A huge part of my budget is allocated to meals at restaurants. This probably comes from my upbringing as a restaurant baby. My parents never spared expenses when it came to eating out. I carried this energy onto being an adult, and for years I have been living alone and just ordering take-out or eating out most days a week. Obviously this means that the money I earn doesn’t stay with me. This has caused me to feel behind when it comes to meeting financial goals. I also found that eating out did not necessarily bring me joy. Restaurant food is not always unhealthy, but preparing my own food ensures that I am giving myself what I need to be healthy. I started this habit during the last few months of 2021, and it has stuck! I have learned to cook so many delicious things, and have really begun to enjoy making my own food and sharing it with my partner.
Vacuuming
It’s not what it looks like. I vacuum! For most of the time I have been living alone I vacuumed at least once every 2 or 3 days if not every day. There were times where I fell behind on vacuuming during depressive episodes. As many long-time friends and readers know, I have three pets. We live together in a fairly small one-room apartment here in South Korea. All three of my animals shed all year round. Before permanently adopting my cat, Butterscotch, vacuuming every 2 or 3 days was perfectly fine. It would get a bit dusty if I leaned toward the 3 day mark, but it would be manageable. After adopting Butterscotch, it was like I suddenly had 5 dogs. My cat is a short hair, but he sheds constantly. I discovered, last year, that I needed to step up my vacuuming in order to feel happy in my home. I now vacuum at least once a day, but most days it’s two or three times a day. It has done wonders for my mental health, and my pet’s happiness as well.
Slow Wake Ups
Lastly, with a little more sleep, I have been able to wake up early and a little more gradually. I have started using an alarm that starts low and gentle and gradually wakes me up. It has helped me come out of sleep much less violently and has helped me start the day with a little more elevated of a mood. Giving myself time to slowly wake up, check messages, pet the dogs and cat a little bit, and doing a good stretch or meditation has made such a positive impact. Here’s a wake up meditation from Yoga with Adriene that I listen to often as I get up to start my day!
If I’m feeling especially energetic and ambitious, here’s a quick 5 minute yoga practice to get the blood flowing that I have also worked in!
I hope this has given some of you guys some ideas on starting small and reasonable goals to help you out of any COVID-19 fatigue or depressive episode you might be experiencing.
Turbulent Mind 