Tag Archives: exercise

Jun16

Embracing Your Inner Gym Bunny

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Embracing Your Inner Gym Bunny

While in lockdown, you may have been hankering for your work out sessions at your fitness gym and you now have to make do with some at-home exercise. This will suffice for now, but what about when you can go back to the gym? Times will have changed, and there will be a new normal that you have to adjust to. You will have to remain socially distant, classes may only involve a handful of people, you may need to buy your own equipment, and hand sanitizer will become your best friend. Take a look at why you should *safely* embrace your inner gym bunny when lockdown ends:

The Range Of Exercise:

If you are used to doing twenty minutes on the cross trainer, a 5k run on the treadmill, and pumping some iron in the weights area, then an aerobics class as seen at YouTube.com at home simply isn’t going to cut it. Being able to work a wider range of muscle groups and having the equipment to tailor your workout so that it is bespoke to you is only available at a gym. While you might not be paying your full subscription fee each month at the moment, you will relish having the chance to when you can get back to a spin class and enjoy your HIIT workout once again.

While you are indoors a little more, take the chance to hone a new workout plan for when you do head back to the gym. If you are keen to lose the weight in your arms or you want to strengthen your core, construct a workout plan specifically for these areas using the many free guides available on the Internet.

Gear:

If you are looking to head back to the gym, make sure that you look the part. You want to be turning heads for all of the right reasons, so go to a site like curvesncombatboots.com and check out their achingly cool leggings and awesome tops so that you look amazing when you venture to do some exercise for the first time in ages. Pair your clothing with some new running shoes. While you might not fancy heading to the high street or the mall, there are plenty of online retailers with some excellent discounts at the moment. Take advantage of them while they are trying to encourage more shoppers back to their stores.

Classes:

While classes may be smaller, having an instructor in front of you yelling at you to go faster can actually be inspiring and make you work harder. Finding your mojo at home when watching a YouTube session or when trying to go for a jog outside can be tough. Sometimes, you need that expert to encourage you. Classes range from Zumba to box-fit and from spin to circuits. Each of these classes will help you to shift the pounds and tone up. You will also find that your dopamine levels increase negating the cortisone levels in your bloodstream. This can make you feel more positive, content, and happier in these uncertain times.

Venturing to the gym was something that we used to take for granted. Follow this guide, and enjoy embracing your inner gym bunny in the post-pandemic world.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jun12

Looking After Your Physical Health In Lockdown

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Looking After Your Physical Health In Lockdown

When practicing social distancing by staying at home, it can be difficult to keep your physical health in check. It’s no longer possible to go to the gym, run an organized race, or meet up with your sports team. And our normal food, sleep, and hygiene routines have gone out the window. Much has been said about how to look after your mental health in these stressful times, but your physical health is important too. We don’t know how long social distancing measures will be in place, so it is crucial that you stay on top of your fitness now and don’t wait until the lockdown is over.

If you are struggling to look after your health in lockdown, here are a few tips to help you:

Have a routine:

With your professional and social life on hold, all sense of routine has disappeared. You might feel there’s no need to establish a schedule for your days when you barely leave the house, but this may be more damaging to your health than you think. A lack of structure in your life can make you less motivated to look after yourself and promote bad habits regarding eating, sleeping, and exercise. Establish a framework to your days by getting up and going to sleep at regular times, and sticking to set meal times. Plan your days to fit in healthy activities and use the extra time productively.

Get enough sleep:

These are stressful times, and many people are struggling to sleep right now. The quantity and quality of sleep have a huge impact on your mental and physical health. If you don’t get enough, you may find yourself with weakened immunity, cognitive impairment, weight gain, and a higher risk of conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Go to bed and wake up at regular times, and make an effort to reduce your exposure to phones and social media in the hours before bed, as these will only impact your sleep further.

Be active every day:

The lockdown has made it harder to motivate ourselves to exercise, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day will make you stronger and fitter, as well as reducing your risk of almost any health condition, including cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and cancers. Not to mention the mental health benefits. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a brisk walk or an online fitness class or a yoga session, schedule in some activity every day, and you will soon feel the benefits.

Eat well:

When you’re always within a stone’s throw of your kitchen, it can be hard to eat right all the time. Although comfort food can be beneficial now and then, you need to maintain a balanced diet if you want to avoid health problems. Avoid the temptation to order takeout and start preparing yourself nutritious meals with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, and take care to reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake.

As well as taking these steps to maintain your physical health, it is also crucial that you deal with any new or existing health conditions promptly. You can talk to a doctor online about any medical concerns, so you don’t even have to leave the house. Stay well!

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Jun10

How To Start Moving Past A Fear Or Phobia

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How To Start Moving Past A Fear Or Phobia

When you’re dealing with a fear or a phobia, it can be a real challenge and it can even stop you from enjoying life in certain ways. No one should be held back like that, so if that’s the situation you find yourself in and you’re not sure what to do about it, you’re in the right place. There are options and techniques that can help you overcome these problems faster.

Of course, everyone is different and when it comes to psychological matters, there’s certainly no one size fits all solution that you can turn to. There are always going to be things that can go wrong and tactics that fail. But we’re going to discuss a whole range of options to try and a combination of them might just help you confront and move past your fears in life:

Take Small, Gradual Steps:

You should try to take relatively small steps when it comes to confronting your fears and phobias. There are always going to be difficulties along the way but you might end up doing more harm than good if you throw yourself in at the deep end. Small and gradual steps can help you to slowly adjust to the feeling of experiencing or being around the thing you fear. That kind of progress is positive and small steps are just as worthy of celebration as bigger ones.

Replace Negative Thoughts/Images with Positives Ones:

When you notice that you have negative thoughts creeping into your mind, you should try to replace them with more positive ones. The process of doing this is not always easy and straightforward but it certainly is something that’s worth working on. Sometimes, it really is as simple as recognizing the negative thoughts that are going through your mind and replacing them with thoughts that aren’t going to drag you down in the same way.

Don’t Demand Instant Results From Yourself:

You need to avoid the temptation to be too harsh on yourself. This is something that’s very easy to get wrong when you’re attempting to make progress with your fears and phobias. When you pile the pressure on yourself to change or to deal with your fears better, that pressure can end up making the situation worse than it already is, and that’s not what you want. Instead, you should try to be patient with yourself and don’t fall into a spiral of frustration just because things don’t change overnight.

Give Yourself Time to Think:

Sometimes, you just need to give yourself a little time and space to think things through. When you have a fear or a phobia, you often react in a very primal way. The fear is instinctive and it’s not the result of a real thought process. And that’s exactly why slowing things down and allowing yourself the time to think things through can be so beneficial to you. It allows you to analyze situations and understand if there really is a threat or whether you’re just being irrational.

Try Some Breathing Exercises:

Breathing exercises are useful when you need to calm yourself down and stop feeling so anxious about things. You should try to learn some breathing exercises and find ways to deal with difficult situations when they arise. When you take the time to breathe slowly and focus on every breath, you’ll find yourself becoming less stressed and you’ll calm down much quicker. That’s vital when you’re scared and want to start the process of overcoming that fear.

Write it Down:

Another thing that many people find helps them is the process of writing things down. This is all about processing those thoughts and feelings you’re having in a more logical and rational way. Fears and phobias tend to be quite irrational and you can work through them better when you write them down. This forces you to think about them and look at them clearly, rather than through the lens of your existing fears and phobias. It can really help in giving you the right kind of perspective.

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Pixabay Image

Learn to Deflate Situations with Humor:

When you find yourself in a difficult situation and you can feel your fear starting to mount and build up, you should try to deflate the situation with some humor. Doing this will be vital because when you can laugh, it’s hard to also feel scared at the same time. Learn to find the humor in the situation even if it feels a little uncomfortable and unpleasant for you in the moment. Once the situation deflates, you’ll feel a lot better.

Confront Past Experiences:

It’s a good idea to try to confront the things in your past that might have led to the fears that you have today. When you do this, you can be sure that you don’t carry on holding that origin story of your fears at the back of your mind. For example, if a dog bit you and you’ve been scared of dogs since, finding a dog bite lawyer and resolving the issue that’s caused you that mental trauma might help you to get closure and put the whole event behind you once and for all.

Exercises to Relieve Tension:

Finally, you should think about what you can do to relieve the tension you often feel when you’re in a situation where you’re scared and fearful. That tension can last even after the situation that’s making you scared is over. By exercises, you can release that tension and generally feel better from a mental health point of view.

When you have a fear that really stops you from doing things and achieving all of the things you want to in life, it’s time to take action. Don’t let yourself be held back or limited in any way by the things that you experience in life. Your fears can be confronted and dealt with using the ideas above!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jun5

Ladies Who Golf, In Style

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Ladies Who Golf, In Style

Ladies styles of golf clothing have advanced rapidly over the years. This falls in line with the fact that people are more style-conscious about what they wear on the course than they ever have been. However, it is important to recognize that there are still rules and regulations in place regarding what you can and cannot wear when playing golf.

A lot of people overlook the fact that a lot of golf courses have dress codes in place when it comes to the types of golf clothing that can be worn at their venue. The last thing you want to do is be turned away from a game of golf because you are wearing something that is deemed inappropriate. The most vital thing to recognize is that dress codes differ from venue to venue, some are relaxed and some are quite strict. This is why it is a good idea to check the company’s website before you do any online golf shopping so you can purchase clothing that stays within dress code restrictions.

It is worth noting that in most cases, you will not be allowed in a venue if you are wearing shorts or a golf skirt that is deemed too short. You should make sure they fall by your knee. Aside from this, other items on the non-permitted list tend to include jeans, any clothing that features big logos, T-shirts with big round necks, and rugby and football shirts. You can still have custom T shirt printing; you simply can’t wear football and rugby shirts.

Ensuring Your Clothes Have The Perfect Fit:

One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make is buying any clothes just because they are cheap, irrespective of their fit and features. However, if your clothing does not fit you correctly, it is going to have a detrimental impact on your game and your appearance. After all, comfort is one of the most crucial aspects when playing golf. So, let’s begin with the golf shirt, it is important to make sure the sleeves do not fall below your elbows. For men, they want a top that comes just above the elbows, but luckily for ladies, you are able to go a little bit shorter.

If you want a clean look, you should consider keeping the collar of your shirt inside of your sweater, if wearing one. If you are wearing shorts, make sure they are not too short, as you may find that you are in breach of the dress code and not allowed into the golf course.

If you are wearing trousers, they ought to kiss the top of your shoes for the right fit. All golfers should invest in waterproof clothing, as the weather is often erratic. The fit is even more important when it comes to these garments. If you go for anything that is oversized, it is going to get in the way and it will make it difficult for you to swing freely.

Grab the right garb for your time on the green with your girls (Alliteration much?!) and enjoy your day! And, make sure you grab the best tunes for Golf Cart Karaoke after learning more about top rated golf cart Bluetooth speakers. FOUR!!!

May21

How To Live A Healthier And Happier Life

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How To Live A Healthier And Happier Life

If you have been trying to change your life around and live a healthier and happier one, then it can be overwhelming knowing where to start. It can be tricky to take the first step, so read on to find out what you can do to begin improving your life today:

Visiting a recovery center:

If you have been struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, taking a step towards a Renaissance Recovery Center Outpatient Treatment can be very scary. But, seeking treatment is a significant first step to transforming your life. They can find you a program and a routine that works for you and your needs taking note of any commitments you have, such as work, school, and other priorities that you need to work around.

No matter what your struggle is, these centers are here to help you shape your life into a healthier, happier, fuller one. When deciding on a center, choose one that will best suit your needs. Do you prefer to stay at the center or would you rather it be an outpatient program similar to the alcohol rehab near Overland Park? Do the counselors have a personality that meshes well with yours? You want to set yourself up for the best chance of success.

Should a recovery center be something you are interested in going to, it is a good idea to take a tour of several different options to find the best fit for you. This is a big change and it’s so important that you feel fully comfortable where you are and their services are applicable to your needs. To begin scheduling tours, simply enter a search for “90-day addiction treatment program in south carolina” (or your local area) and research your options. A recovery center that is an excellent fit for you will increase your chances of a better life upon graduation.

Taking up a hobby:

With hundreds of various hobbies and activities around, there is something for everyone. Whether it’s something such as cycling and running to pot throwing and tennis, these are all hobbies that can be done in your spare time. This is a great time to clear your mind while releasing any stress and worries. If you are looking for a small hobby that can be done within the home, then try an adult coloring, writing, and meditation – which can all help calm your body.

Looking after your body:

Taking exercise classes can be nerve-racking and cause anxiety with many people, but it can relieve a lot of stress while making you overall happier and healthier. While there are many exercise classes for you to take, you can also complete courses at home, whether it is on a video call or guidance through a YouTube video. There are many options you can choose from, such as yoga, HIIT, spin classes, and cardio to boost your fitness levels and have a healthy heart.

Gratitude and journaling:

A popular way to release any negative energy is to replace these thoughts with things that you love and cherish. Starting every morning, write three things that you are grateful for, something that would make today better, three things you love, and a quote to boost your confidence and to encourage each day to start in the best way.

Hopefully, with this guide, you will be able to take those first steps to living a healthier and happier life. Will it be easy? Nothing good ever is! But, it’s up to you to give it your best shot. Good luck!

Featured Image By: Pexels

May5

Smart Tips To Help Manage Your Cat’s Weight

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Smart Tips To Help Manage Your Cat’s Weight

Part of keeping your cat healthy is ensuring that they stay at a healthy weight. We might all like to laugh at and coo over a fat cat, but the reality is that cats shouldn’t be carrying lots of excess weight. They need to be at a healthy weight so that they can remain active and so that there is no extra strain put on their bodies. Managing your cat’s weight can be difficult, though, especially if you have an indoor cat that might be less active. If you’re looking for some tips to help manage your cat’s weight, take a look at the advice below:

Speak to Your Vet:

Your vet can give you plenty of helpful advice about your cat’s diet and weight. They can let you know if your cat is overweight or even underweight, and make recommendations to help keep them healthy. They might recommend a specific food, especially if your cat might benefit from a special diet to improve their health. Your vet can recommend portion sizes and feeding times and generally offer more personalized advice compared to what you would get from a packet of cat food.

Make Measuring Food Easy:

It can be tricky to get your cat’s food right, especially concerning how much to feed them and when to feed them. Measuring out the right amount and sticking to a schedule is an important part of giving your cat the right diet. Many cat owners let their cats snack on dry food throughout the day, but this can lead to them eating too much. An automatic cat feeder can help you to measure out the right amount of dry food. Some even have cameras so that you can watch your cat when you’re out of the house. If you feed both wet and dry food, you need to make sure that the combined calories don’t exceed your cat’s recommended amount.

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ANGEL!

Keep Your Cat Active:

Exercise is another important part of managing your cat’s weight, particularly if you have an indoor cat. Indoor cats can be less active than outdoor cats, who will often go roaming for large parts of the day. Playing with your cat can encourage them to be more active, which helps to manage their weight. Make sure to adjust their diet to match their levels of activity too. More active cats may need to eat more.

Be Restrained with Treats:

Giving your cat treats can be a great way to pamper them and even teach them a few tricks. However, too many treats could mean that your cat is eating too much. While a few treats aren’t a bad thing, it’s important not to go overboard. It’s also important to give your cat special cat treats, which you include in your cat’s daily calorie allowance, and not human food.

Keep your cat healthy by managing their weight. Food and exercise play important roles in cat weight management.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Apr22

Feeling Stressed In Isolation? Let’s Fix That

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Feeling Stressed In Isolation? Let’s Fix That

Do you feel stressed being confined to your home? Well, you’re not alone. Studies seem to suggest that while social distancing may be reducing the spread of the coronavirus, it’s also causing a surge in mental health issues and that’s a problem. However, there are ways to beat back the stress and protect your mental health in your own home. Here are some of the best options that we recommend:

Keep Your Schedule:

This one is particularly important according to the experts. You need to make sure that you are sticking to the same schedule that you were on before lock down began. If you don’t do this, you’ll throw your levels of energy and your sleeping pattern off course. This can cause you to feel more stressed because you’ll be getting less sleep at night. So rather than throwing the alarm away, make sure that you rise with the sun. Start work if you’re working and if you’re not, why not begin the day with some light exercise.

Exercise will help too. Staying active is going to help you burn off that stress and keep your mental health in check. It will mean that you don’t have to worry about your body starting to succumb to aches and pains simply because you’re not using it enough. Remember, you can be creative with different types of exercises too. For instance, you can throw a dance party on Zoom with friends and family members.

Eat Well:

Various studies have shown time and time again that issues with your diet can cause problems with your mental health. If you don’t eat right, then there’s a good chance that you are going to feel more stressed than usual and it will impact your mood. The problem is that you might not have the energy or the motivation to cook a full meal and that’s okay. You can make this easier by using a meal preparation service. With a solution like this, you will be able to make sure that you get the delicious meal you want without having to worry about all of the issues with preparation. There are lots of great companies that offer this service. For instance, you can consider Hello Fresh vs Home Chef to find the right choice for you.

Me Time:

Finally, while it might seem odd to say, you could be finding it difficult to get the time to yourself that you need. Particularly, if you are a parent and working from home while still trying to make sure that your kids stay on top of their school work. But it’s important that you do take an hour or so out of the day to just relax, unwind, and forget about what’s going on in the world for a little while.

It’s tough to stay positive at times like this but looking after your body and your mind is always going to be a step in the right direction.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Apr14

Outdoor Activities In Self-Isolation

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Outdoor Activities In Self-Isolation

Hello! Although I have been enjoying my time inside during Ohio’s stay at home order, I, like many of you, am looking forward to being able to go out and about like I used to. Despite most stores and restaurants not being open at the moment, there is still plenty to do in the great outdoors. Today, we are going to look at a few of those options in case you’re coming down with a case of cabin fever:

Go On A Walk:

Duh! I know this is an obvious one but it needs to be said. Take a stroll around your neighborhood or go for a brisk hike at a Metro Park – you’ll be amazed at how good you feel after a little exercise and fresh air! Turn on your favorite tunes, give a friend a call, immerse yourself in some social distance chats with your neighbors, or just take in the scenery as you take your walk. I think you’ll feel much better. 🙂

Start A Garden:

My dad has been working in his yard like a mad man now that the weather in Ohio is beginning to improve. He is busy preparing his garden for cool weather crops and I know how much he enjoys getting his hands in the dirt and helping something grow. Not ready for a full on garden? Start with some potted plants or herbs and go from there!

Eat Outdoors:

If you have a patio set or simply a few lawn chairs and the weather is nice, try eating outside. It will feel like a little private picnic! Make your favorite sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade, bring out a good book, and spend an afternoon in the sun instead of sitting on your couch. Don’t forget to take your jigsaw puzzles, word searches, or even just the level of Candy Crush you can’t beat onto your porch, too!

There’s nothing like opening the doors to let some fresh air into your house or apartment, either.

Start A Tradition:

In Ohio, a lot of families have put teddy bears in their windows so parents can take their children on walks to the tune of the nursery rhyme “Going On A Bear Hunt”. Create your own fun tradition to get your neighbors involved like Where’s Waldo windows or a neighborhood game of I Spy. It will be nice to hear excited children participating in the game and it will sure feel good to spread a bit of joy in your neck of the woods, to boot!

Try Some Crafts:

There are plenty of great crafts you can make outside or create with materials you found on a walk so give it a shot! Create a self portrait with side walk chalk, pick some flowers and make a crown, or try your hand at painting or building a birdhouse. There’s nothing like a fun craft to pass the time and it will feel even better to have made something beautiful in your own backyard.

If you’re feeling increasingly bored during your stint with a stay at home order, get outside and participate in the ideas above!

What do you enjoy doing outside? What is the weather like in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr1

Self-Isolation Check In

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Self-Isolation Check In

Hi! Towards the third week of March, Ohio issued a stay home order that put a name to the suggested self-isolation constantly being recommended. This means that the only times you should be out in the general public is if your work is deemed “essential” or you are shopping at an essential business like the grocery store, pharmacy, or are stopping at the gas station.

This hasn’t been too bad, because all of the nonessential businesses and restaurants have already been closed for a while so it’s not like a bunch of fun stuff instantly got taken away. Both my boyfriend and I work in fields that are considered “essential” so we are lucky enough to still be able to go to work. But, trust and believe that as soon as we get off of work, we are hunkered down in my apartment for the rest of the day.

My time in self-isolation has proven to be pretty fruitful. I love spending time with my boyfriend playing video, card, and board games and watching all kinds of good movies and shows. Recently, we got into watching Lego Masters and that has been our latest obsession in quarantine.

I also have made good on my promise to read Doctor Sleep by Stephen King and have been enjoying that greatly. And, as often as I can, I try to practice the languages that I am learning on Duolingo: French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Czech. It makes me feel good to exercise my brain after what feels like nonstop TV time and it also really helps to break up the boredom with something more mentally stimulating.

What I am most excited about during this stay at home order, however, is that the weather is finally nice enough to hike – which is still allowed! I am looking forward to being more active with walks as often as I can because I am in such a slump without being able to go to the skating rink. So, hopefully this will help decrease all of the energy I have in the evening from not doing much of anything for the past month! 😀

How have you been spending time in self-isolation? Did you set any goals for yourself to accomplish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar24

Passing Time In Self-Isolation Pt. 2

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Passing Time In Self-Isolation Pt. 2

Hello! Crazy times, amiright? And, amid all of this craziness, it is so important to keep yourselves safe and healthy. This means limiting your time in public as much as possible. And, you know what? That’s fine by me! I have been having the best time hunkered down with Johnny (my boyfriend) playing Rock Band, watching Band Of Brothers, and indulging in our new obsession of Magic The Gathering. As much as I enjoy an evening at the bar, a quiet evening in is definitely what I prefer.

I had to laugh at a meme that said something like “when you realize your normal lifestyle is considered a quarantine” because that holds quite a bit of accuracy to me! But, if you’re still struggling to find ways to keep yourself occupied, allow me to suggest the following:

Learn Something New:

Sure, you could spend your time in self-isolation binging TV… And, believe you me, I’ve had my fair share of America’s Next Top Model marathons. But, you could also use this time to learn something new. Take a virtual tour of a museum, which is now being offered through a lot of establishments. Try your hand at a new language. Give a craft on Pinterest a shot. You’ll be amazed at where you end up once the self-isolation recommendation has lifted if you chip away at a new skill every day.

Cook A Great Meal:

I am so thankful that I went grocery shopping a week before all of the closings started happening because my pantry is fully stocked. And, since going out for dinner isn’t possible right now, I have enjoyed cooking in my kitchen every day. I love making breakfast over the weekend for my boyfriend and revel in when I can have dinner ready for him when he gets home. It is never not satisfying to me to lay out a meal that I made.

Open up a recipe book and give a few new ones a go, cook an old favorite, or bake and decorate a cake. An afternoon helping mom or dad bake cookies always goes down well for the little ones, too!

Exercise:

Unfortunately, all of the skating rinks in my neck of the woods are closed so I cannot have my weekly skate sesh. This sucks but it also doesn’t mean that I can’t still be active, which is so crucial when you’re stuck at home and being more sedentary. Do some crunches during your TV time or lift some weights. And, although community hangs are frowned upon – going out for a brisk hike or walk around the neighborhood isn’t.

Rearrange/Redecorate:

If you’re beginning to feel the effects of cabin fever, try rearranging your home or the room that you spend the most time in. Switching out knick knacks, changing the position of the couch, or reorganizing your book or movie shelves can breathe a whole new life into a space. And, if you’re on the hunt for something brand new, order online and make sure you love it since you’re going to be seeing a lot of it for a while. 😉

Although things feel scary right now don’t let it get in the way of enjoying yourself as you try out the ideas above!

How has the coronavirus effected you? What have you been doing to stay occupied? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah