Staying Positive During Uncertain Times

I believe that staying positive is of upmost importance during these unprecedented and uncertain times in the world right now.  Here in England we have been told to work from home.  Pubs have closed.  Schools will be closed indefinitely from this weekend.  And we are all waiting with baited breathe to see whether we will be in a country wide lock down – regardless of whether we are sick.

I don’t think human kind generally deals well with change and uncertainty.  It breeds fear and anxiety, all which can quickly spiral out of control.  Personally, I have many mixed emotions about the current situation and that’s okay.

However, I truly think a positive mindset can really make a difference to your mental well being and how you will manage this world crisis.

With that in mind, I have written myself a list of goals I want to achieve and things I will focus on over the coming months.  Waking up each day with a purpose is definitely going to have a positive effect on my mental health and the ability to carry on.  So, lets see what is on my staying positive list!

#1: READING BOOKS

With a toddler at home full time, it might be a bit ambitious to think I can read loads.  Nonetheless I have compiled a list of brilliant books for the quarantine period in an attempt at staying positive.  If you can’t get new books, consider downloading them to your Kindle / iPad or perhaps you can arrange to safely swap books with your neighbors?

#2: LONG WALKS

I hope that we will still be able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.  Assuming our family is not sick, and dependent on the measures the government implements.  So each day it will be a priority to go outside and get our daily 30 (and then some!).  It will help the toddler and our 2 pet beagles to burn off excess energy, and counteract all my ‘snack-cidents‘.  I will also be supporting the independent coffee shops in York and indulging in some much needed caffeine!

#3: BEAUTY TREATMENTS

I am going to take full advantage of not having to rush out of the house to go anywhere, and indulge in a spa day at home.  Face masks, hair treatments and mani – pedis all the way.  I will be a new woman by the time we all emerge from our homes.

#4: TRYING NEW RECIPES

On the assumption that we will be able to source the foods that I need, I’m keen to try new recipes.  I think it is the perfect opportunity to try a few different meals and involve my daughter more in cooking whilst she is away from nursery.  Everyone is currently raving about Ottolenghi SIMPLE – Alexa, buy now!  And I love the well thought out suggestions from Ashley at Mom Uptown in 100 Quarantine-Friendly Meal Ideas.

#5: PRINT TRAVEL PHOTOS

I have so many beautiful family photos on my phone from our travels and adventures.  Yet I have not bothered to print any of them in a very long time!  So I’m going to take some time to choose my favorites and order them online. If you still have that underlying wanderlust, here are 5 ways to travel during lock-down.

#6: SPENDING 1-ON-1 TIME WITH MY DAUGHTER

I’m not very ‘mumsy‘ … and I am not very good at doing ‘mumsy‘ things.  Like crafts or games or spending hours engaged in pretend play.  I love her dearly and would do anything in the world for her – but that is just not the way my brain is wired.  So during this time whilst schools and nurseries are shut, I am going to make a concerted effort to do at least one focused activity with her each day.  Team Stein Mummy is very good at this type of thing and has lots of fabulous ideas and schedules in her blog post – Home Schooling Schedules, Tips and Activities for Kids of all Ages.

#7: FACETIME WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS

I think it is safe to say that we are all going to be a lot less ‘busy‘ for a while.  One friend in Australia is already in self isolation and my sister is at home with her brand new bubba.  So I envisage lots of FaceTime calls to family and friends in order to feel a little less isolated.

And whilst you might not be separated by hundreds of miles from your family like I am, perhaps you have a vulnerable family member who has regular homecare/personal care from a provider such as Anderby Care. Whilst this can be incredibly difficult with you not being able to visit them currently, at least you know they are being well cared for as well as having regular social contact.  And with modern technology, you can still keep in touch!

#8: PILATES VIA CORRESPONDENCE

If you follow me on Instagram you will often see me talking about my Pilates classes.  I love practicing Pilates and taking the time out to focus on my mind and body.  Whilst I will be sad to not be heading to the studio for a while, I look forward to joining the York Pilates People classes via correspondence.  I will also be doing plenty of exercise at home to burn off all the extra calories from baking!

#9: MAKING OUR HOUSE A HOME

Whilst we might have been in the UK for 3 years now, we have been so busy with travel that I haven’t put much effort into making our house a home.  The house is perfectly functional, it’s just not very warm and cosy.  So it is time to get serious and turn our house into our own little haven.

#10: AUSSIE TAXES

Boring AF – I know!  But it needs to be done and now I don’t really have any excuses.

#11: NETFLIX & DISNEY+

Who am I trying to kid?  There is going to be PLENTY of Netflix and Disney+ in our household.  Thankfully I haven’t had time to watch much TV recently, so I’m guaranteed hours of entertainment.  And worst case, I will be watching re-runs of Friends!

I hope my list has helped you to think about the things you can focus on during a time when so much is unknown.  Share with me some of the things you hope to achieve and how you are going to be staying positive.  If you are looking for some additional help, Claire of Claire’s Journey has written an excellent post on Taking Care of your Mental Health during Self-Isolation.  There will be a light at the end of the tunnel, so keep your heads high and stay safe.  Sending my thoughts and well wishes to everyone across the world.  Shell x