Post something you are doing that helps you cope

As of this morning -- TURNING OFF CNN! omg. 

I've been spending a lot of time in my craft room making cards.  This week has been my 'play' week, next week is 'work' week, I'm going to start my spring cleaning.   

I’m actually visiting the peas less. I’m getting my information from various news sources on coronavirus and I need a space to talk about other stuff. I have enough worry about what is happening without the never ending doom and gloom and sanctimony. I think I just need to Netflix and chill (and craft).

ETA: just found the memes post. I’m in! I’ve been collecting all week for documenting.

I've been doing my online kickboxing class, watching movies, journaling, playing with my pup and trying not to go stir crazy. I'm by myself as DH is offshore.

We are still working, but our bosses may end that at end of day today.  If so, I plan on binging all seasons of Grace and Frankie again for starters.

I was able to transplant a couple of potted plants into bigger containers in my garden yesterday, which was nice.

I walk our dog.

One thing that helps me is to plan, I've looked at the weather for the next couple of days, it's due to be sunny (yay) so I will spend time in the garden. It helps me feel that time is not just merging into one long hour.

I rise early, set small tasks and stick (more or less) to meal times and head to bed about the same time every night. I can see progress and achievement, i.e. that cupboard is sorted or I've worked ten rows on that project etc.

I finished watching Grace and Frankie. I have now started watching Schitt's Creek. I love that show. I have a quirky sense of humor and it makes me laugh. I had seen it recommended here and I am glad I am watching it.  

Oh good, please post his paintings soon. I don’t remember seeing one in awhile. I’m very, very content to stay home. I prefer it, so - so far, so good here. 

Just before this all happened, I had ordered The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. It's an older book, but so many people had recommended it to me over the years, I was committed to giving it a try. I hate feeling blocked and afraid to make things and I have been feeling that way for many years now. After the first week, I could tell that it was a process that would work for me and addressed so many of my anxieties. However, I was already feeling like I didn't have time to commit to it and I was feeling frustrated.

Now, it seems like it is the perfect time!

It's about recovering creativity and nurturing your inner artist, which I imagine most of us here are

Two of the main exercises in it are the Morning pages- handwriting three pages of any thoughts which has been really helpful in easing some anxiety.

The second is the Artist date- two hours going somewhere alone to find inspiration. That is a little hard these days but I have a lot of nature close to me and have been counting watching art projects online or just browsing art and interesting / inspiring things virtually. And that has been helping.

I have little time and a whole lot of mom guilt about doing things for myself and this isolation has actually taken away some of that guilt and it is really nice.

I'm exercising every day whether I want to or not. I need a release from all of this and always feel better when I'm done. 

To be honest, my life hasn’t changed much, but I don’t watch the news anymore.

:
The only thing that has changed, my yard alarms are going off every hour. I want to go and yell, stay off my road! Go walk on your own street.



Yard alarms: geese and turkeys.

Organizing and doing the things I'm always too tired to do after teaching all day.
Stepping outside when possible and doing some yard work in the afternoon. We have had a week of sunny weather (AKA "Sucker Spring" in the PNW because this early spring sunshine makes us think the sun is back until summer!) and I swear, it has made this week at home more bearable.
Keeping in contact with my neighbors by text and by talking (yelling?) across the cul de sac. We hit the jackpot when we moved into this neighborhood.
I'm following the Kate DiCamillo writing challenge (two pages a day). Again, something I never feel like doing after being a middle school writing teacher all day.
I'm seriously thinking of picking up a craft-from-the-past. A friend is teaching herself to knit. I'm thinking embroidery might be my things. I love the oh sew bootiful kits.
And, of course, playing with our kittens and our dog!

Trying to avoid the news for now. I got in a good workout today, and have been watching young children sing and play instruments on YouTube. So precious! I have also done quite a bit of scrapping.