How to Stay Healthy (and Sane) during COVID-19

Today is day #12 of my self-isolation time. I returned from my trip to Guatemala on March 17th, just in time before they closed their borders to incoming and outgoing flights. I'm glad I got to travel when I did, before all of this broke out. I got to experience the colonial city of Antigua and its landmark yellow Santa Catalina Arch, surrounded by volcanoes. At night, the Volcan del Fuego gushed glowing orange lava. I got to see the cloud forest and lush jungle, swim in the turquoise pools of the Cahabon River and got to witness the beauty of Atitlan lake and the richness of the Mayan culture in the towns nestled along the waterfront. Remembering the view below reminds me that my travels weren't so long ago and I know I'll have new adventures to look forward to.

I am grateful to be home safely and close to family, and to be in good health. But I do miss the fresh air and the sunlight kissing my face, meeting up with friends and going dancing. I know I'm doing my part to stop the virus spreading and that's all we can do for now.

While the pandemic may be throwing us all off our A-Game (what day of the week is it? How long have I been wearing these leggings?), I wanted to share some tips that have been helping me make the most of quality stay-at-home time by staying healthy (and not losing my mind).

1. Make a Schedule & Stick to It (or do your best to)
There's nothing worse than having an entire day to work on something without a plan. I am the best at making a long to-do list but I usually only get a fraction done before I get distracted.  Here's an example of a schedule I created. I have to be honest, I haven't been following it religiously but it helps to use it as a guideline. Notice how I left quite a few time slots blank so I can stay flexible with my use of time, tweaking my schedule based on what is or isn't working for me.



2. Stay Active
If you can do your gym workout routine at home, you should!

I just know myself well enough to recognize that I don't have the discipline to do that because I don't enjoy the gym or have weights. So I prefer to follow videos of someone telling me what to do. My favourite yoga channel on YouTube is Yoga with Adriene. She has so many videos for feeling more energized, less anxious, more confident, and is easy to follow no matter what level you are. Highly recommended :)

YMCA also has free videos for bootcamp, yoga and even kid's activities.

3. Explore Your Creativity
Make a homemade face mask
Check out @goodchoiceinitiative's video on making a face mask using natural ingredients you already have at home, such as a banana, yogurt and honey (featured below).

Stay weird, friends

Draw/Colour
When was the last time you sharpened your colouring crayons? Now's the time!

Abby Wilson is providing free colouring sheets that are pretty enough to hang like a painting - they're inspired by them too!

Check out local artist @scatterbee on Instagram for free access to the cutest animal drawings you can colourfully bring to life.

DIY Cleaning Products
Stay tuned for my next video where I make an all-purpose cleaner with ingredients from my kitchen.

4. Eat Well (while reducing food waste)
Now that I have some extra time on my hands, I've been making more fresh and tasty meals while freezing any extras. The other day, we had chilaquiles con salsa verde, a Mexican dish of tortilla chips with green salsa and carrot & ginger soup for dinner (picture on the left); and yesterday was a Thai coconut curry with yellow peppers, broccoli, tofu topped with green onion and fresh coriander prepared in the crock pot (right).

                                 
We even treated ourselves to ordering in and supporting local business by getting delivery from Rama Krishna Restaurant. Their palak paneer (creamy spinach with cottage cheese) is to die for. And I've had a lot of palak paneer in my lifetime.
                                   
If you really want to indulge ('cause you deserve it), try this vegan chocolate mi-fondant cake. The recipe is in French but if you'd like to try it I'd be happy to translate for you.
                                                          
                                                          It melts in your mouth!
I've also been saving vegetable scraps such as onion and garlic skins, carrot and potato peels, coriander or parsley stems...basically anything that would taste good in a veggie broth, and then freezing it for future use. Here's a little clip from my first batch, which I used as a base for the carrot/ginger soup (pictured above).
                                                 
Other scraps I've reused include bananas and their peels, lemons, coffee and cucumber peels to use for my natural beauty care routine. All other fruit/veggie scraps are being kept in the freezer and brought to the neighbour's green bin once my bag is full, since the apartment building I'm in doesn't have one available.

5. Learn
Lynda.com is an endless source of online learning. Do you want to know more about podcasting, how to do online marketing, SEO, or need to brush up on your word processing skills?

All you need is an Ottawa Public Library card to access these videos for free. With this card, you also get access to all of their online content (eBooks, eAudiobooks, movies, TV, music streaming, magazines and newspapers, online tools, etc). Don't have one yet? Call Infoservice: 613 580-2940

6. Be Present
Take the time to be in this present moment. I know these are crazy times but now is the opportunity to reflect, meditate and appreciate what you do have, whether it be your health, family, safety or all three. We may not be living the ideal situation but we do have the support and resources we need to do well, and we know where to get them if we don't.

Check out some free apps to help guide you in your meditation practice. I've tried and like Simple Habit most, but Let's Meditate or Headspace are also good options.

7. Be Kind
Now is the time to practice kindness towards yourself (self care is key) because we're going through difficult times. Don't forget to be kind to yourself and to others. Do what you need to feel good, whether that's taking a bath, reading or calling a good friend. It's OK not to feel our best all the time...to feel stuck, like things are so uncertain you're not sure about your future. It's understandable and we're all feeling that in some way. 

If you're not in self-isolation and have the means to do so, offer to help a neighbour, friend or loved one who may be running low on groceries or other necessities. One of our neighbours brought us a couple of bags of fresh fruits and vegetables and it really helped. Once I'm able to leave the house (T-2 days!) I'll be reaching out to people I think could also benefit from a kind gesture.

Let's pay it forward, friends! We're all in this together.

Take care and stay safe (and keep it cool like this Guatemalan cat in San Pedro, Atitlan Lake) xo

                          

P.S. I'd love to know, what tools and resources are you using to keep your cool during COVID-19? Were any of the suggestions above helpful, and do you have any more to add? Let me know!

P.P.S. If you liked these tips, check out Good Choice Initiative on Facebook and Instagram for more information on how to live sustainably.