3 Things Enhancing My Life During This Time
This has been a weird year, right? When our quarantine started, after about 2 weeks went by, I realized this was going to be a longer shift than I had originally planned for. My family and I decided we were going to make the best out of this year and be grateful for all the things going right instead of focusing on the mass pile of things going wrong.
While there have been days of random tears, some angst and anger, some confusion from my kiddos that broke my heart, and no real ebb and flow found…we have leaned into each other and created sacred memories that will span our lifetime. All that to say, I’ve been actively looking for small ways to better my every days, keep my energy alive, keep my mindset right, and make some gosh darn lemonade out of this lemon year of 2020. Here are 3 things that have helped me do so:
Kindle
I am obsessed with self-help books and books that teach me about some of my favorite things such as writing, our bodies, and the Earth. But this year, I really wanted to get back to reading as a leisurely activity. The last few years when I sat down to read I felt like I had to make sure it was for some of my bigger goals so that I wasn’t “wasting my time.” Really every moment that my eyes were open I wanted to utilize. There’s nothing wrong with this mindset, but once this year threw a wildcard, I knew I need to shift for my health.
I decided to dig into worlds far away from here. To get lost in a book on my porch-couch as the sun slowly rose and warmed my toes, to read outside whenever I could, and to even neglect to make dinner a few nights because I was swept away in a book.
Truth be told, I was actually always anti-Kindle. I did no research. I just knew that I LOVE having a book in my hands, the smell of the pages (it’s a real thing), and to be able to write or mark anything that moves me. So naturally, I thought the Kindle couldn’t offer me any of this.
James (my husband) reads A LOT too. Flies through books at an insane amount. So, I gifted him a Kindle. Welp, a few months in, I started reading every night with his Kindle, so he bought me one so he could confiscate his back and I’m officially a Kindle-lover!
My favorite parts about the Kindle:
The battery lasts forever! This is not something you need to charge every day. I charge my Kindle about 2 times a month.
The lighting is perfect for nighttime reading. This is very different than reading on your phone. It’s the perfect amount of brightness for your eyes and barely interrupts the darkness of the night if you have a sleeping spouse laying by you.
The convenience when traveling! I always bring a book with me whenever I travel. There have been weekend trips I’ve forgotten my book or couldn’t decide what to read or I bring a book, but it wasn’t the right choice for that weekend. Ha! And then I end up not reading. Traveling this summer was so great with the Kindle because you have a WHOLE library right there with you. You can decide on the go what you want to read.
The ability to look up words as you read! I just love this feature. I’m a word-junkie. Dictionary.com is one of my most used apps! Ha! How many times have you been reading and stumble across a word and wonder what it means? Well with the Kindle you just highlight it and bam, the definition pops up. It’s the coolest feature!
Kindle also has book-marking and highlighting capabilities and if you share an account, more than one person can be reading the same book at the same time, which is great!
I cannot recommend Kindle enough! I still buy physical books as well, but Kindle has got it going on for so many reasons and I have just been loving it!
Ab Challenge
Community is one of the greatest forces, especially during this weird year we call 2020. We spent most of our time quarantined with some of our neighbors and that was such a luxury! After the strict quarantine was lifted, we dove deep into family time. It was essential to our survival, honestly.
On one of our trips we were at the Kern River in California. My family rents a little motel sandwiched between the shore of the river and the bottom of the Sierra Mountains. It’s funny over the years how you mature and your habits change. This year, the adults found themselves trying to squeeze in workouts while on our trip. This is a new thing. Ha!
One of my cousins had started an ab challenge on the app ‘6 Pack in 30 Days.’ He eventually convinced me to join him. Every day of our trip we’d say “Ok, let’s get to the ab challenge!” And then we’d get caught up corralling kids or just enjoying the day. Our trip came to an end and we didn’t do one ab challenge together.
Once we got back into our daily lives, we decided to do a 30-day ab challenge together. My cousin lives in California and we live in Texas, so this ab-challenge was such a cool way to stay connected states away. Each day we’d have an ab workout and we’d text each other how painful it was.
I really recommend any workout challenge with someone you know! It holds you accountable! There were a few days I did NOT want to do the ab workout, but I knew my cousin was doing it or already did it and that motivated me to get it done and not get left behind. If you’re competitive this is a great motivator too! My family is super competitive (in all the right ways, in my opinion), so if there’s a challenge, I’m doing it and I’m doing it 100% because I want to WIN. Ha! Our particular ab- challenge didn’t have much of a competitive component to it, but there are lots of options for you out there.
This was great for camaraderie, connectedness AND physical health. Can’t really ask for more than that! We still have 2.5 months to go into to 2021 with those 6 packs guys, you in?!
Calm
This little supplement at night has been a game-changer! My body reacts to things very easily aka I usually only take half a dosage of any prescription medicine and was even wary of taking the whole packet of EmergenC as a vitamin C supplement. Ha!
Calm is straight-up Magnesium, which helps with focus and is anti-inflammatory! Amongst other things that you will have to look up and research yourself, but the point is- I recommend getting your daily dose of Magnesium! Most people are deficient in this mineral that really helps your body run more smoothly.
When we have ran out of Calm and I’ve gone a few days without it, I have noticed a difference in how sore my body feels after a workout! I don’t know if it’s just placebo, but my body is at least twice as sore from lifting and running when I’m not getting enough Magnesium!
Along with being good for my body, it also starts the mental wind-down process for my mind! I am all about routines in my home and the cues for when it’s time to relax and turn the ol’ brain off. Usually after I get out of the shower, I’ll make my glass of Calm and hop into bed with my Kindle (wow- that tied in nicely)! I’ll sip my nice night-time beverage and read a few pages and then by the time the drink is gone, I am ready for lights out! You can drink this any time of day, but I prefer the night. You can also add it to warm water or cool, I usually just add it to room-temperature water. It has a fruity taste and is very easy to drink!
There is also a Calm “Calmful Sleep.” We love that one too! That one has Magnesium, Melatonin (can make you drowsy aka aids in sleep), and Theanine (which improves focus like whoa)! You can buy these on Amazon, but they’re both at our local grocery stores, so I’m sure you’ll be able to find them at yours too!
There ya have it friends! 3 simple things that have improved my every day life during this time! Maybe these three things will help you too, but what I hope is that we realize, small adjustments can create the biggest enhancements in our lives! It doesn’t have to be grand or extreme, it can be so simple. Small consistencies create large steps forward!
Rooting for you!