Suddenly the time has come: you are in your home office or on short-time work, the consequences of the corona crisis are making themselves felt. In addition, restaurants, cinemas, basically all public institutions are closed, where you usually like to spend your free time with loved ones. Society as we know it is taking a forced break.
Very few of us are prepared for so much free time in our own four walls. Where do you go when the ceiling falls on your head? How can you make sure that the permanent sitting together with family and flatmates does not become a powder keg?
Social distancing and the new leisure time: The crisis as an opportunity
Why is mindfulness important in the current situation? Quite simply, it takes us further: almost 70% of those questioned in a study stated that in times of initial restrictions and social distancing they found more pleasure in simple things like going for a walk in nature. Pausing for a moment also gives all of us the chance for self-knowledge. With a distance to the daily stimulus satiation of everyday life, we now have the opportunity to think about previous decisions and perhaps to take new paths. [1]
But for profound insights, a suitable framework is needed. Here you can find out how you can create this framework with 10 simple tips and how you can manage your time at home in a fulfilling way.
Tip 1: Rise and shine – structure your everyday life
If you want to see the crisis as an opportunity, you must first make sure that you do not get lost in a diffuse daily rhythm. Even though sleeping late can be relaxing in the first few days, it will keep you out of step in the long run. Therefore, despite the fact that you may no longer be under any pressure, get up regularly at a fixed time and enjoy the morning. Take care of yourself, take off your pyjamas and give yourself the good feeling that the day has begun.
Tip 2: Fit through the day – eat well
Tip 3: Care for balance – with sport and meditation for relaxation
Whether yoga, fitness workout or cycling, there is something wonderfully liberating about exercise. Power up with a round of sport. The happiness hormones that are released during exercise will help you to take the day in a relaxed manner. Do something good for your mind afterwards and treat yourself to a meditation to relax. If you don’t know how to do this, this article will give you simple instructions for getting started. Or use our app to listen to a free guided meditation that requires no prior knowledge.
Tip 4: Digitally close – maintain your friendships
Social Distancing does not mean that you lose your social contacts, they just shift into another context. Whether by video chat, email or postcard: Be careful with your contacts, maintain them and let them take part in your everyday life. Why not enjoy an after-work beer in video chat or try an online game together?
Tip 5: Your personal work – be creative every day
Painting, making music, drawing, writing, composing, designing or conceptualising … there are countless possibilities for creative work. Take the crisis as a chance to try yourself out creatively and take a little time every day to be creative. Such activities give you the feeling of creating something very special and therefore have a very fulfilling effect. Even small creative activities have a measurable effect on your well-being. [2]
Tip 6: Culture does you good – also enjoy what others have created
There has never been such a rich selection of cultural assets as there is today. Let yourself be inspired and enjoy the concentrated knowledge and the creative flights of fancy of other people. Whether virtual museum visits or books, podcasts, films, series, radio plays or live streams – there are no limits to your imagination.
Tip 7: A contribution to the community – Help others around you
Is there anyone in your neighbourhood who could use help? Many people are dependent on others even without social distancing. Be attentive, ask and make your contribution. Whether it is help with shopping or a weekly phone call to keep you company: helping others makes you more active and makes you feel good. If you don’t know who to ask, you can look for help on neighbourhood portals, for example.
Tip 8: Pull together – introduce common rules
Always squatting against each other can create tension. While one person wants peace and quiet, the other would rather romp around the flat. Be fair and give room to different interests – at set times. In a family, for example, you can divide the day into active times and rest periods. This gives your children time to play, especially when they are also at home. At other times, however, you respect each other’s need for rest and time for yourselves. Fixed tasks can also provide a meaningful daily structure. In the evening on the couch you are all more balanced.
Tip 9: Free yourself from ballast – muck out vigorously
Within your own four walls you are surrounded by things that make you happy – but certainly also by a lot of stuff that is just standing around in the way. Anyone who spends a lot of time at home will quickly notice how many things have accumulated over time and turn their own oasis into a confusing memory heap.
Muck out vigorously, free yourself from things that are just standing around and mean nothing to you anymore. Giving away, exchanging, selling – surely someone else will be happy about it. Afterwards, clean it up again and you’ll feel really good at home: studies have shown that less chaos in the house leads to less stress. [3] And who knows – maybe you’ll find the perfect scoop for the next rummage sale?
Tip 10: Positive Vibes – Keep a happy diary
Many people find it difficult to see the positive in the daily crisis news. With a diary you can remember that there are still many wonderful moments that enrich your life. Write down every evening how the day was for you. Of course you should not gloss over anything. But you should also consciously write down under a separate heading what was good that day and what you are grateful for. In this way, you will discover the beautiful sides of your life anew, attentively and effortlessly.
Quellen
[1] Wieczorek, Patchara: Quarantäne als Selbstverlust oder -findung? Letzter Zugriff: 16.11.2020. Online.
[2] Heute schon gestrickt? Kreative Hobbys machen uns glücklich. In: Stern, 05.12.2016. Letzter Zugriff: 16.11.2020. Online.
[3] Hartmann, Corinna: Was Unordnung mit uns macht. In: Spektrum Psychologie, 3/2019 (Mai/Juni). Letzter Zugriff: 16.11.2020. Online.
