Are you at home for the first time in a long while getting to know yourself without distraction? Do wonder what to do when you are bored at home? Are you looking for things to do alone?
With social distancing, we’re being asked to refraining from close contact with others. This means maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between anyone around us. To be safe, public health experts are also recommending we quarantine at home. This is an unfamiliar and abrupt change for many of us.
It doesn’t have to be bad. In a way, this is an extraordinary opportunity to deep dive into what you need to nurture in yourself and family. While these are especially hard times, we are all called into this new consciousness as a gift of the coronavirus. We are aware of our connection to the world, its people, families, workers, resources, environmental recovery and new ways to engage in community while sheltering and finding new things to do alone at home.
While this doesn’t directly relate to the coronavirus, I find it interesting to define the meaning of corona. Crown. Our highest self. The dictionary also offers an astrological definition: the rarefied gaseous envelope of the sun and other stars. What a metaphor for something that holds our light, warmth and ability to shine. We must be blessed to help each other through this coronavirus pandemic from the safety of our own homes.
What is the new meaning of home?
Home is shelter, a sanctuary, a place of comfort if we are lucky. What do we want to come through this time? How can we find new ways for ourselves and our planet to thrive?
We are finding ways of staying connected to others at a distance and support the health and safety of all individuals on the planet.
There are many ways to participate in global and local efforts to help one another. We can be inspired by musicians and leaders of all kinds offering online events. We can also spend time with our families, friends and extended family, at home and virtually.
Practicing mindfulness:
Now more than ever is a time to invest in your mental health and wellness. Yoga, meditation and mindful movement are excellent things to do while under quarantine.
I maintain a strong yoga practice at home. One of the online communities I am a part of is practicing archer pose every morning. This strengthens our intentions and brings forth our will.
If you are seeking assistance physically, energetically and spiritually, my daughter Dana is now offering online healing sessions.
This is a time to foster loving self-care and enjoyment. It is a good idea to set a schedule with those you live with so that there can be times to come together and times to be separate.
If you are new to remote employment, experiment to find your best practices for working from home. Set your hours. Take breaks. When you are done for the day, use your downtime for other things. Give yourself time to make adjustments. Live with your new rhythm and let it evolve.
Things to do while home alone:
There was a time when I was home with my sick daughter for years and everyone else was living their lives. We were isolated and in discomfort, surviving. Now we are all home and free to thrive.
How are you doing this? We are setting up times with our family on Skype or Zoom. We can visit, organize projects, sing, dance, watch movies, have discussions, and play games. One of my friends set up a family dinner over zoom! Let’s continue to extend our homes socially and from our hearts.
Books are also wonderful ways to enter other realities. The web is full of book lists, free library book downloads and new titles coming out every day. Two wonderful books I recently read are Raw: My Journey From Anxiety to Joy, by Bella Mahaya Carter, and Brave New Medicine: A Doctor’s Unconventional Path to Healing Her Autoimmune Illness, by Cynthia Li.
If you are feeling inspired, journaling is also an excellent way to clear your mind. I am personally grateful to have some quiet time for writing and to share my new memoir this July to all who may be uplifted during challenging times.
While downtime is important, it is also vital to stay active. Find your form of exercise: take walks, online classes, stretch. Stay centered and take the opportunity for healing at this time.
Humans are social animals. Social distancing and quarantining won’t last forever. With a little self discipline, online connectivity and mindfulness you can turn this challenging time into a growth opportunity.
Anna Penenberg is an author, healer and kundalini yoga practitioner. Learn more about her story and pre-order her book, Dancing In The Narrows, today.