Right now, the world is in a bit of a pickle, Trending memes show a common feeling amongst social media users, that is, we are bored. Stuck at home. And bored.
Positivity
Something that is vitally important during a pandemic like this is an abstract right within our grasps; positivity. In times like these we need to stand together… although not literally. But, just because you are alone, doesn’t mean you have to be bored… or even lonely. You have limited yourself. In fact, now might be the perfect time to make that dream happen! Get up and get it! You have the time, so start putting in the hours to make that special thing possible.
How do we go from waking up late, laying in bed, watching movies all day, to making efficient use of the entire 24 hours gifted to you?
A Sleep Cycle
A good place to start is your sleeping habits. I try wake up before 7am everyday and do yoga for half an hour to an hour. But start off slow… try waking up before 9am everyday and sleeping before 12am. (use sleep cycles)
One sleep cycle is 90 minutes. I usually sleep for 4 to 6 cycles. The beginning of a sleep cycle is the best time to wake up and feel refreshed. There are 5 stages during a cycle, the first stage being a light sleep and the fifth being the rapid-eye-movement stage. Waking up during the deep sleep (stage 4) or REM (stage 5) can leave you feeling grumpy or disoriented. So yes, when you go to bed and wake up is kind of important.
I use sleeptiming.com as a sleep calculator. You can find out when to wake up or when to go to bed in order to rise during stage 1 of your sleep cycle.
Planning & Scheduling
Next is to have a routine… I know, I know, we literally just got out of a routine, isn’t it time to lay off and relax? Well who said your routine can’t be chilled?
Make yourself a schedule including all the things that you enjoy doing, or all the things that you have wanted, but dIdN’t HaVe ThE tImE to do. Start by making a list of things you might want to do weekly or daily; reading, writing, photography, art, crafting, painting, dancing, singing, cooking, getting baked… err baking, creating, riding, drawing, making videos, yoga, body art… okay I know it seems like I’m rambling on but I am trying to inspire you! Whatever it is, do a little more of what makes you happy.
A very wise teacher of mine always drilled into his students the proverb; work smart, not hard. Now, some of us still have school work, online classes, and assignments… fun. The old me, would leave it all ‘till the last minute, and start a few hours before the submission time. The new me knows that I have said assignment and I should do said assignment. I have allocated at least 2 hours of my day to school work, instead of stressing the load into a limited window of time. Your routines really can be fun!
Physical Recreation:
It is important to get the blood pumping during this time. Physical activity can help prevent you from sinking into a depression state. Whether it be home workouts, yoga, fitness, cardio, or riding your bike, skateboard, scooter or horse -yes sorry, my bitchass has the option of riding a horse. Get that physical work in! Spend at least 45 minutes to an hour doing something physical.
Do not forget the importance of stretching. I would suggest doing more intense workouts in the morning as that provides your body with the whole day and plenty of opportunities to stretch, a light workout in the evening, and then a deep stretch before getting into bed; the best time for a deep stretch would be after a good shower or bath because your muscles are warm.
Consumption:
Here’s one we all enjoy… and probably have no problem doing, especially since wE aRe So BoREd. Eating. But with balance. Find and pick a diet that suits you. I try to eat at least 2 full meals a day, excluding snacking.
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Now, distance yourself from your distracting devices (as well as your friends) and make those dreams a reality.
Once you get your mind, rest, thoughts, body, and eating in order. The only challenge left is commitment.
“Everyday, it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it everyday, that’s that hard part, But it does get easier” ~ Running Baboon from BoJack Horseman, the series.
You just got to want it hard enough.
