Here in Atlanta, we have officially passed the one month mark for stay-at-home. Now that the novelty of working from home has worn off, and the midday walks and lunch cocktails have lost their magic, I’m looking for new ways to keep myself busy and happy at home. Today, I’m going to share the top five things that are helping keep me grounded during this time, and hopefully you’ll find them useful in your own home life!

Tip 1: Moving my body in a new and different way everyday.

If I know there is one thing I know improves my mental health, it’s moving my body! While I love exercise of all kinds, this doesn’t have to mean traditional exercise. Sometimes my movement for the day is a 10 minute gentle yoga for neck and shoulder class, sometimes it’s a 5k run, and other times it’s dancing around the house with my roommates. In a brief moment of desperation a week go I even used a 12 pack of hard sparkling water as a dumbbell just bc I wanted to lift something heavy (lol). If structured exercise is your thing, almost every exercise studio I know of has started making online content, including live zoom group exercise classes. Make sure to check your local exercise studio’s instagram account to see if they are offering classes!

Whatever joyful movement looks like for you, incorporating a little blood-flow into your day can help you clear your mind, and relieve some of the stress and tension we are all feeling right now.

Tip 2: HEADPHONES

This seems like an obvious one, but I genuinely didn’t start incorporating headphones into my daily routine until this week. If you’re sharing a space with a partner, roommates, kids, or other family members, it can be hard to get work done, listen to your favorite podcasts/music, or even find a moment of quiet. I even love putting on some relaxing ASMR when I’m feeling extra stressed. If you can, invest in noise cancelling headphones to block out any extra noise in your home!

These are the headphones I use and love: and for their price, they are very noise cancelling.

and here is an inexpensive pair I love too:

Tip 3: Scheduled time away from my phone everyday.

Whether you use your phone for work, or you just like to scroll through social media, I think a lot of us can agree that we have been spending more time on our phones than usual. Now more than ever, I find that putting my phone away for at least 30 minutes or so a day is imperative in helping me recenter and get my thoughts in order.

What this has looked like : drinking my coffee on my back porch and enjoying the sun before my workday, putting my phone across the room and reading for 30 minutes before bed, hanging out with my roommates in the living room while our phones are in our rooms, or showering and getting ready for the day without my phone around.

Tip 4: Try something you wouldn’t have done before.

One of the things I’ve struggled with the most during my time at home has been feeling like I need to use this time to the fullest and get everything done that I can. That is not realistic, or healthy, or sustainable, but what I have done is picked a couple things that I’ve always wanted to try but have never had the time to do before. This could mean trying out a new art form, cooking a meal you’ve never cooked, learning more about something you’ve always been interested in, or even painting your nails a new funky color just to see what it looks like! Personally, I challenged myself to write more poetry and finish a short film, both subjects I received B.A.s in, but haven’t been able to do much of since graduating. Whatever your new thing is, try to remember that this can be a great time to reflect on what activities in your daily life bring you joy, and maybe you’ll find a new favorite activity along the way.

Tip 5: Keep a routine - but don’t be afraid to break it.

Routine can be a great way to maintain a clear head and regain some feeling of control in this turbulent time. Even if you aren’t working and you don’t have kids right now, setting a loose routine (time blocking is great for this) for your days can provide necessary structure. My routine has helped me feel useful, productive, and get my mind off of things. But I’ve also found it incredibly important to remind myself that it’s ok to break my routine and to let things slide some days. We are currently having a collective experience that is stressful and unprecedented, and for a lot of us, it’s re awakening old trauma. Now is the time to be gracious with ourselves in every way possible and withhold judgement against ourselves for how we are handling this experience.

-Abbigayle