In these ever-changing times of uncertainty, we find ourselves having to adjust to being home—a lot! Maybe you are struggling to find contentment as you try to settle into your new “normal.” In doing so, it’s vital that we all take proactive steps toward preventing cabin fever.
So, what’s the definition of cabin fever? Irritability, listlessness, and similar symptoms resulting from long confinement or indoor isolation.
Pros of Working from Home
Are you having a hard time adjusting to being around your people for long hours and days at a time? Let’s pause and find thankfulness in what you’re gaining.
Perspective can change everything.
- Sleeping in. Let’s be honest, you may or may not be showering first thing every single day, so, why not snooze a little longer. You can always shower on your lunch break! This is a great time to break out of your workday routine.
- Starting dinner earlier. No sitting in traffic, picking up from aftercare, or rushing home. You can now plan dinner on your lunch break and start it as soon as your workday is finished.
- Making new memories. Use one of your breaks during the day to draw with sidewalk chalk or blow some bubbles outside.
- Spreading out chores. What a great opportunity to get laundry done through the day, or on your break, instead of spending the entire weekend checking off tasks.
- Saving on gas! Yay for no traffic and saving a ton of cash by staying home.
- Experiencing community. There are some neat things happening amid the change. Neighbors are helping one another, and churches are finding new ways to gather, through online services and at-home video conferencing, for small group Bible studies.
Desk Exercises
First, make sure that you have the proper amount of space around you before you get started with the suggested exercises. A safe environment is a big factor in determining which exercises you can implement in your home office space.
- Ball chair/Stability ball - This will help to strengthen your core and improve posture.
- Stretch bands - These handy items add resistance to any exercise routine. They don’t take up much space, so, you can easily store them in your desk drawer.
- Small free weights - Having these weights is useful for a variety of arm exercises like a bicep curl or the overhead press.
- Ankle weights - This affordable option is quite handy, and you don’t even have to take a break to use them!
Desk Exercises with Household Items
- Don’t have access to stretch bands? No problem! Grab any rope you have lying around and tie it to a tree after adding knots to both ends, then do an inverted row.
- If you don’t have free hand weights, you can use gallons of water or liquid laundry detergent bottles or jugs instead!
- Want to take your pushups to the next level? Use a basketball, volleyball, or soccer ball.
- Stairs are the perfect cardio option when stuck at home.
Activities for Kids
We have all seen the funny posts about your new and demanding “coworkers” that seem to want all of your time while you’re trying to plan a meeting. We can’t come to babysit for you, but we can offer some simple and cheap ideas that may occupy them for a little while.
- Word cutouts. If age-appropriate, ask your child to cut up words from old magazines, mail, or even books, to create sentences or a story by gluing them onto paper. You can suggest a new topic each day and challenge them to compile facts about the topic.
- Lego desk or tray. If you have an old end table, desk, or even a tray, you can glue a Lego base sheet or plate on top and also store Lego pieces in the attached drawer. This will create a dedicated space for all those tiny pieces.
- DIY toilet paper roll crafts. If you haven’t read our blog post about what to do with those leftover toilet paper rolls, check it out here.
- Go outside and look at the stars. What a perfect time to teach the kiddos about constellations.
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness.
Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” – Scott Adams
Think Before you Speak
Staying in the same place with the same people for days upon days can make you cranky and try your patience. So, if you start to feel agitated, stop and just breathe. Pause for a moment. Don’t react without thinking of what is about to come out of your mouth. Step outside, stretch your hands up over your head; then touch your toes, breathe in deeply and exhale slowly. Repeat as many times as necessary. Your loved ones will thank you later. If not, you’ll be happy you acted and not reacted!
Share
What exercises are you doing at home? What are you thankful for? What ideas and tips do you have to share with others? Comment below. Impact wants to hear how you are preventing yourself from going stir-crazy!
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