“Timendi causa est nescire — Ignorance is the cause of fear.”
Seneca
Hello again friends,
It’s been only 48 hours I published the #stayhomechallenge tips article and seems to me that perhaps we will need a little more tips of how to conquer boredom indoors.
Everyday we are bombarded with bad news everywhere and that alone feel us with anxiety, stress and agony. This is bad for our mind and body.
1. old movies: I am an addicted to old movies. And when I say old movies, I don’t mean only the Golden Age of Hollywood or the amazing Nouvelle Vague (love the noir ones, François Truffaut, Louis Malle, Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard) but also mean the 80s movies! Don’t waste your time watching movies that don’t mean a thing, because that is what we more have nowadays, unfortunately. Instead, try some old movies or see the good ones again! Who here don’t love Blade Runner or Ferris Bueller's Day Off? If you like noir, I highly recommend Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, directed by Louis Malle, with the amazing Jeanne Moreau, plus, the movie features the exceptional score of Miles Davis. You can see the trailer here. A masterpiece of noir genre!
2. sleep well: this is the chance you have been waiting for, to sleep a little better. Now that you are home, not having to wake up so early or staying hours in the traffic to get to work, this is an opportunity to better care for your sleep. The body and mind appreciates it.
3. exercise: another thing that will keep you busy and mind away from stress is to exercise your body at home. Of course right now you won’t have access to your personal trainer or all that stuff that a gym academy provides to you, but there are plenty ways to improvise it at home, alone, and YouTube has a lot of videos just showing how to do it.
4. check the news only twice a day: establish 2 times to check the news daily. Don’t do it when you wake up and don’t do it before you sleep. This is as bad as inject poison into your mind. If you are a cell phone addicted and checking your cell phone is the first thing you do when you wake up and the last thing you do before you close your eyes, I recommend you to start to change your habits. Really. Life is more than cell phone and apps. Specially now.
5. stay away from credit cards: with everything closed, how tempting it can be shopping online! The stress is a great excuse for us to act like crazy buying everything we can, like there is no tomorrow. Stop and think again, do you really need that extra pair of shoes? Futeball t-shirt? Or that new book? Although you still have 30 news books on your shelf, and yet, dying to buy a new one, as it can be hard to say no to Amazon! They just keep sending ads, discounts, etc. Crazy right? But do remember, this is a delicate time. Save for later. Read all your books? Read again. The perspective is completely different, I can assure you that.
6. stay healthy: make teas, drink water, salads, eat your own food. People when working usually eat in restaurants, bars, etc. This is an opportunity to eat daily your own food. To go out for lunch or dinner is super nice, I love to try new restaurants and bars, but to eat your own food can be extremely good. A simply thing like that can bring you peace and happiness. So true.
7. drink less alcohol: I am a lover of good drinking. Mainly beers, vodkas and wine. But to drink more than the normal in times like this can lead a person to depression instead of good moments. Try not to cross the line. These are times for inner peace, not chaotic thoughts.
8. get off social media: if you have read some of my articles, you already know I am against social media. Do I use? Yes, Twitter is my main source, along with my website. If I could, I would also drop Twitter, but I still have to have some social media in order to share my work. The rest is just trash. Take a time to be with yourself and get off of any social media. Turn off the wi-fi. Be with yourself. There is a book I highly recommend: Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier. When people realize how bad social media is, it will be already too late. Social media is toxic and huge waste of time. Stay away from it. If you have to use it, be wise. Don't trade your life for it. The damage is irreversible.
9. Pinterest: a good source of information and resources for my studies. Pinterest has shown me a lot of photographers I was not aware of and helps me with my never endless survey about the masters of photography. Some of my folders are public and some are private. After all, as I said, it’s a source for my ideas and inspiration.
10. pets: cats, dogs? I am a mother of 2 cats, so if you are a pet parent, I don’t need to mention how our babies stay happy with ourselves at home! Other than that, my cats are an infinite joy of happiness. I talk to them and they are all the time with me. We have much to learn with animals and we are obliged to respect mother nature.
11. clean: you know that old stuff you keep in your wardrobe? Maybe this is an opportunity to see what is worth to keep or to trash out. Clothes you don’t wear anymore, tons of boxes with documents that no longer have any real value, review old album photos. Clean the ambiance and make the energy rolls!
12. cooking: I am not the best cook I know and I am not a passionate about it, but I like my food, so I cook. But I know that for many people out there cooking can be therapeutic and relaxing. Listen to a good jazz, a nice glass of wine and cooking. Oh yes, that can be relaxing. Even for myself. I for once, every time I am cooking I think: ‘I should be writing something’ haha. What about you? A passionate about cooking? Or more like me? :)
13. take care of yourself: I am a person that loves to be alone. I wrote articles about it. I travel alone. I talk to myself constantly, as some kind of meditation. So this time indoors for me is totally OK. I understand that this may be a difficult period, as so many people fear being alone or the silence around them. But I see this as a great opportunity for you to learn to appreciate this time alone. Learn to love the silence. You are your best friend. It is important to love yourself and appreciate your company. Don’t listen to poison people. Don’t read sensationalist tabloids. Take care of your mind, be positive and you will realize how much better your daily routine will become. We don’t have control of what is going on in the world right now, but we can help by avoiding socializing, following the hygiene rules and staying at home. And yes, we can control ourselves and how we react to it.
