Shaking Things Up

I’m only in my second week of working from home and already I’m in a rut. I had my laptop and extra monitor setup on the dining room table and it was making me feel cramped and cornered.

So this afternoon, I switched things up.  I had a small desk in my bedroom, and I wasn’t sure all the equipment would fit on it, but I thought I would try it out.  I moved it in front of the double doors leading to the balcony. Hello sunlight! It was definitely the right move, because as soon as I sat down I instantly felt more inspired and energized.

The tendency since everyone is stuck at home during this pandemic is to waste tons of time watching tv, falling down rabbit holes on YouTube and flipping through every app on your phone.  But those kinds of activities eventually leave you feeling drained and sluggish.

Here are some ideas of activities that can actually give you a little boost while you are stuck inside with extra time on your hands.

Rearrange a Room

Simply rearranging the existing furniture in a room can make it feel like a completely different space.  Plus not having a lot of options, also forces you to begin thinking outside the box. For instance, my dresser in my bedroom now doubles as a tv stand.  A shelf rack has become an end table. An ottomon in the living room is now an extension of my desk.

Purge

Getting rid of unused items from your home is very freeing.  The first weekend after starting to work from home, I did a major purge throughout the house.  You just feel lighter somehow. Now actually getting the bags of stuff to Goodwill or another deserving organization can be its own challenge.  Just sit them by the door and the next time you have to go out you’ll feel too guilty to leave them behind.

Dress Up

Not having to wear a bra and shuffling around the house in your pajamas is amazing…for about four days.  Then the sloppiness of your dress starts seeping into your overall mood. So dress up like you are still going into the office.  Or take some time to play around with your makeup and create a different look. I may even get all decked out in dress and heels for work on Monday.

Change Your Routine

Sleep in or get up early, whatever is the opposite of what you do now.  Take a shower at the end of the day. Eat dinner for breakfast. Take the dog on a different route.  Even the smallest of changes can give you a new outlook. You get major dopamine surges when you take control of your life, even if it is just deciding to wear clashing patterns.

Go Old School

Write a friend or family member an actual handwritten letter and mail it to them.  Call someone on the phone instead of texting. Bring out the CD or record player and listen to some throwback tunes.

Try Something New

You know that drawer in the kitchen that you have all those recipes you cut out piled in.  How about you open it up and actually try some of them out. Start using coconut oil on your face every night or some other new skin care procedure you’ve heard about.  Read a book from a genre you wouldn’t normally try. Watch a foreign film but skip the subtitles and see if you can still figure out what is going on. Practice a tango using a tutorial off of YouTube.  Wherever your curiosity takes you, give it a go.

Get Organized

We can get a boost of energy when we accomplish something we have been putting off or dreading.  So take all this extra time to finally organize your photos, clean out your file cabinet, or find out what really is in that junk drawer or closet.

Have Fun

Sing and dance often.  Dig out some board games or toys or coloring books.  Act silly and tell terrible jokes. Build a fort in the living room even if you don’t have kids.  Shake off the idea of what you should be doing and just play.

Be Brave

Lock that stupid phone away for 24 hours and see what find to keep yourself occupied.  Boredom can jump start our imagination and creativity into overdrive. Look up already!

Realizing I have WAY too much black in my apartment.

Traci