From Survive to Thrive

As we are now going on about a month of shelter-in place, it’s no secret that this has been a complete “180” for a lot of us. Even though some time has passed, it is still new territory to navigate, and we have been doing what we can to survive and to keep ourselves occupied. In a particularly challenging moment for myself, I (Christina) thought about Maya Angelou’s famous words: 

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style.”

I tried to reframe my own thinking and attitude about feeling stuck or stagnant, and contemplated how I can thrive – even in the current circumstances – instead of trying to merely make it through to the other side of this. 

I pulled out the stacks of books that I have been meaning to get to and started reading. I have visited my journal on a much more regular basis. I am making time for things that sometimes slip due to a full schedule including working out, yoga, writing, and mindfulness practice. I’m cooking a new recipe every day! I’ve called family and friends. I’m dancing. I’m contributing my time to worthy causes. I’ve realized that without the excuse of “I just don’t have the time”, I could actually do things that bring me joy. 

It’s been a refreshing reframe, and while I’m not getting caught up in the need to constantly “be productive”, I’m embracing finding time to do lots of things that I feel passionate about. I wanted to share this reframe and invite you to think about doing what brings you joy. It’s also okay if some days are harder than others to find what these may be. Give yourself the space to be okay with whatever comes up for you. 

Stay safe and healthy,

Suzanne & Christina

M I N D

Daily Meditation Practice Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra have collaborated to provide 21 days of free, guided meditations for these uncertain and challenging times. Deepak Chopra invites users to “Make your own well-being the start of global wellness.”  Each one is 20 minutes, low-stakes and very accessible to any level of mindfulness or meditation practice. I’ve really enjoyed starting each morning with these and have noticed how my day positively shifts because of it.

B O D Y

Learn Choreography Even if you haven’t historically done a lot of dancing, in this era of Tik Tok videos and such, it seems like it’s everywhere – in a great way. It’s easy to forget that dancing is an incredible form of exercise, and it also allows for the opportunity to be creative. Learning choreography can also be really challenging! This might be more of an activity for students, but if you can try to learn choreography as a family or even individually, that’s fantastic too. If Old Town Road isn’t your jam, you can learn or even create your own choreography to a song of your choice.

S O U L

CoronaVirus Anxiety Workbook I know that we are all spending a lot of time online, but I came across an incredible resource from The Wellness Society that helps mitigate anxiety related to Covid-19.  From tips on how to reduce anxiety, to uplifting news, to a gratitude wheel, this incredibly helpful  tool provides psychoeducation around this topic, and also tangible activities and practices to complete. I can’t recommend this enough if you have felt or are feeling anxiety during this time.