Feel Good Friday 23
Yet another week at home has gone by, and by now I feel like I have come to terms with the fact that we’ll be here for quite some time, and I have spent this past week truly trying to lean into the new normal and creating a new schedule that works for our family. This week also kicked off another 90 day challenge that is helping me stay focused and healthy (more on that below!). Honestly, I felt like this week I finally got my life in order after a couple of weeks of drinking and debauchery! Today I am going to share with you some of the things that have helped me get some sense of normalcy ,a couple of podcasts that hit me hard in a good way this week, plus one little thing that helped me escape reality for a bit. I am an Amazon associate and make a small commission on qualifying purchases. I am so grateful for the opportunity to bring you some of the things I love!
#Next90Challenge
If you were around here last fall, you might recall that I participated in the Last 90 Days Challenge that Rachel & Dave Hollis do at the end of each year to help their community stay healthy, happy, and focused the last quarter of the year, when so many of us are ready to indulge in all the gluttony of the holidays. With everything that’s going on in the world, they decided to kick off a similar challenge to help get us all through right now. I had been thinking so much about who I want to be when I re-enter the world after this isolation, and for the first two weeks I was not on the path to be that person. I was exercising, getting up early, but I was drinking too much wine and eating too much junk. As I thought about how long this time would last I realized that I had a choice to make. Did I want to re-enter the world in a month (or three months, or however long it takes) fatter and unhealthier, and unhappier in my life, or did I want to come out on the other side as a better version of myself. Just as I was pondering this question, the #Next90Challenge popped up, and I am here for it! Check out this video, and join here. Even though it already kicked off, you can still join, and I hope you do. We are in this together. Let’s all come out of it better! (You can see from my journal entry that I believe I can be better today than yesterday. And you can also see my chicken scratch writing that happens in the dar of the morning… I often miss letters in my words when writing quickly because my brain works faster than my hands!)
Schedule
Last week my kids began their online learning through their school, and to be 100% honest, their classwork takes no time at all. Each teenager is spending about 30-60 minutes of time completing their assignments. I found that the rest of the time they were hanging out in their rooms, on their phones or watching shows, and their moods were less than optimal and they weren’t getting the exercise they needed. Sunday I sat down and wrote out a schedule for us to start using as a guide. While there were eye rolls and loud grumbles, this schedule has been just what we needed. Now each of them is moving their bodies more than before, finding ways to be more productive, and I’ve noticed that they seem much happier and more connected, which is exactly what I had been hoping for. Sawyer did mention that he wasn’t sure what on earth he could do for “creative time” but I told him he could replace the c word with the p word, “productive,” and build a puzzle, play a game, build legos, or try something new. Giving him a little more freedom in that area worked out well, and he’s cleaned his closet a bit and found his missing Star Wars beanie, and built plenty of legos. You might notice later in the day I assigned them a time to work with Wilder which just allows me to get a one hour break and time to work before he goes to bed for the night…it helps get me through that last bit of the day. Honestly, this schedule has made our lives run so much more smoothly this week, and I am so proud of my kids. I can’t imagine being a teenager living through this weird time that none of us ever had to experience when we were kids, and mine are handling it rather well, all things considered.
Hand Salve
In this season of constant hand washing, there is one particular salve that is saving my hands from looking like they belong to a 100 year old woman instead of a 41 year old young lady. 😉 A few years ago when I was pregnant with Wilder my hands were so dry, and on a whim I picked up Badger Balm for hard working hands at my local Wegmans. It comes in a little tin tub, and it’s more like a hard ointment, but my oh my does it work well! I put it on my hands each morning and night, and any time in between that I need it. A word to the wise, a little goes a long way! It will feel slightly greasy at first, but it absorbs into your skin rather quickly.
Pivot Possibility
This past week I decided to tune into Julie Solomon’s The Influencer Podcast for the first time and jumped in at what happened to be the perfect moment for me. I listened to the episode titled “How to Pivot Your Passions and Grow a Business with Cathy Heller.” This podcast, by the way, is for any working person, not just influencers! It is full of knowledge that could truly help any entrepreneur, and this particular episode was about finding what not only feeds your soul and lights your fire, but also lights up the world with what is needed. Cathy Heller discusses how she truly carved out her own career while still being able to do what she loved while serving others. There was so much wisdom in this episode, and I wanted it to just keep going. One of the quotes I wrote down is, “Depression is the opposite of purpose.” Have you ever felt lost in life, perhaps right now as everything is uncertain around you? Now is the time to dig into your purpose and giving your much needed gifts to the world. I loved this conversation so much that I want to re-listen and take notes.
Exercise App
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that the Peloton App is now giving free 90 day trials to get us through this time. At the time of writing that post, I had yet to try it out, but since then I’ve done several classes including meditation, yoga, HIIT, strength, and my personal favorite, the outdoor audio only classes. They’ve got both walking and running classes, and you can filter it by what kind of music, duration, etc. I’ve done a handful by now and find that I push myself much harder with the voice of the coach plus the music playing in my ear. I’m going to find it challenging to run when my 90 day trial is up. 😉 One of my favorite classes so far was a 30 minute 80s fun run. Anyhow, if you are looking for some motivation to get you through this time, I highly recommend this app!
Hair Savior
I am going to be completely honest with you here… My makeup habits and hair styling over the last few weeks have gone totally down hill. Luckily for me, a few months ago I purchased some Monat hair care products from my friend Amy. My hair has honestly been in so much better shape since using it because it focuses on scalp health, but what I wanted to talk about today is DRY SHAMPOO. In a world where I barely even know what day it is anymore, I can’t keep track of when the last time I may have washed my hair was. Was it yesterday? Nope. Was it the day before that? Nope. Maybe the day before that. Who knows. I don’t know anymore, and no one in my family can tell thanks to this dry shampoo keeping it looking clean and healthy!
My One Escape
Last week after I finished my book, I decided to take a little reading break and watch a show at night. I narrowed it down to two and ended up selecting The Stranger on Netflix because A) it looked awesome, and B) there was only one season which meant I wouldn’t be glued for weeks. I finished it earlier this week, and it definitely lived up to being awesome! If you like murder mystery shows, especially of the British kind, then this one is for you! And if you’ve already seen it, and want more like it, check out Safe, The Five, The Killing, and The Fall. That last one is one of my all time favorite series.
Well, friends, I hope that you are also finding a sense of normalcy in these strange times. I wish you well, and am here for you. If you feel like you are struggling or lonely, always reach out to someone, whether that is me, a neighbor, a friend, or a hotline.