We find ourselves in our fourth week of #homewithCI and what may continue for much longer than we all anticipated. Last week’s question, posed to the team, dealt with physical nourishment, but in these uncertain times, our approach to pragmatic mental health and self-care become just as essential. So this week’s task was a critical one for our healthy long term goals in what will be our “new normal.” Show me how you are taking care of yourself maintaining positive mental health activities. Here are ours, we would love to see yours as well…
During these difficult days when I find myself restricted when it comes to enjoying the diversity of experience that we as living creatures are normally endowed with, a simple bicycle ride helps fill some of that void. While not an avid biker, I do enjoy riding the bicycle. It’s a greatly accessible form of exercise that allows an abundance of control over the process.
And it’s a way of seeing the world sort of in slow motion. For me, running is far too slow and tedious. Driving in a car is too fast. Riding a bike feels like the absorbing pan shots you see when watching a movie, it’s a fantastic way to view the world. Today it helps serve as a reminder that we live in a fascinatingly complex world full of possibilities. One that we can see and feel ourselves and that you won’t find on the internet.
– Steve
Bayshore Blvd is only 10 feet wide and 4.5 miles long. The World’s Longest Continuous Sidewalk is just a few blocks from my house. But it has provided me with a wide-open space to breathe deep and think about what the future holds. I know it seems like we are living this world behind the wall, but I promise you it is going to get better.
I like to leave my house at 6:30 am so I can experience the great sunrises on Bayshore. It always clears my head for the challenges the day presents.
– Chris
Coming up with creative ways to entertain my children helps with my mental sanity. Creating entertainment for an 8-year-old vs a 13-year-old is quite a challenge 🙂 Games, legos or movies will keep my 8-year-old son content… BUT…does nothing for my teenage daughter. SO… last night I had the brilliant idea of creating a daily nail and beauty bar with my daughter. Would you like to know the best part? She actually loves every minute of it! Each day we will continue to pick a service ranging from facials, makeup, nails, hair, etc.
– Kyra
When it comes to mental health and stressful environments, sometimes the only thing you can do is what you’re able to do. For me, my denial/acceptance meter is usually shown by how much self-care I’m involved with. Do my yoga stretches, do my cardiovascular work, use my inversion table and through those bodily actions, quiet my head and live fully in the moment, in the ‘what is’ of things.
– Brad
Distraction is the key to my mental health. Besides morning and evening walks around the neighborhood, meditation & chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, and working from home, I am finding that I have all the free time I’ve ever wanted. When I didn’t have the “time” before, I kept a mental note of all the small & large home improvement projects that have piled up over the last few years. Now I’m knocking them out one at a time now that I have the time.
– Anthony
Running… almost every other day. More specifically training for my next “Zombies, Run!” Virtual 5K Race. This is my 4th Virtual Race over the last few years and something I get to do with not only thousands of other runners around the world but also my family. My sister-in-law is 12 hours away and we still get to run this race together.. while also running from the zombies chasing us.
– Kristin
Sleepless nights. Emotional pain that manifests itself physically. A relentless pursuit of shutting down the subconscious unproductive monkey mind. This process has been difficult already and I know that we have just begun this long road ahead. Our team is my family. Their family is my family. And I worry about each and every one of them. My quiet place these days is on the trails. Stress fades and I am left with the babble of Cedar Creek and the song of the Yellow Warbler. But most helpful is the companionship of this furball I named Cooper. The long mind-clearing hikes combined with his comic book smile are my personal solace ….
– Dave
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