Laughter – JOURNEY TO RETIREMENT

bright daylight environment forest — Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

{I originally wrote this post in the beginning of March when I thought we would be home for 14 days. Things certainly have changed, and we are now going on 6 weeks. Good grief. These ideas are still applicable, so I thought I would post them now.}

10 Ways to make Staying at Home More Enjoyable

Read. Read. and Read some more. How many times have you told yourself you don’t have enough time to read? I think now is the time to get through those novels on your bookshelf!
Plan your spring and summer gardens. Thankfully the worst of winter is behind us and we have bright sunny warm days to look forward to. Now is the perfect time to plan what you are going to plant in your gardens. Even a simple planter on your front porch can be a mood lifter.
Spend lots of time outdoors. The whole idea of a quarantine is to stay away from other people, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have fresh air. If it’s a sunny day, sit in a lounge chair and soak up your Vitamin D. It’s great for your immune system.
Practice Yoga. It’s a stressful time, and we all know stress lowers your immune system. Yoga can help. There are tons of videos that you can follow. My favorite? Yoga with Adrienne.
Lift weights/Work-out Programs. Moving and staying active will help you feel better. Once again, there are plenty of programs online to help you. Search YouTube and you will find a bunch! This video on walking indoors is a great way to get started.
Meditate. I’ve often wanted to start this practice, but never felt like I had the time. I know there are plenty of free meditation apps you can download. I’ve tried several walking meditations and they’ve proven to be very helpful in calming my nerves.
Bake Bread. Baking bread can be very therapeutic. It takes time to have the dough rise, and time to knead. But the smell that will come from your oven when it’s baking? Of course, the taste isn’t bad either!
Pop some popcorn & binge-watch a TV series. Is there a series you’ve been meaning to watch? Now is the perfect time. Since recently getting rid of cable and having purchased a Roku so I can watch apps I’m subscribed to, there are a bunch of series I can watch. However, The Office, on Netflix, has provided the necessary laughter during these times. 😉
Have a spa day. Start with a deep soak in a hot, bubbly tub. Give yourself a mani-pedi, taking your time to make sure you let the polish dry. Time is on your side, right? Have face masks just sitting in your drawer? Take them out and try one a day!
Declutter & Spring Clean. Okay, so this one isn’t that much fun. But you’ll probably have to do it eventually, so why not now? Having a clean, neat home will make it much better to hang out in.

A Bonus tip:

JOURNAL! It’s been imperative for me to document this time in my life. My feelings, my goals, my gratefulness. Retrospection has been key to keeping me sane during these scary times.

I hope these tips and ideas can help you during these unprecedented times. Now I’m off for a walk in the sunshine.

Stay safe and have a great day!