Goran Yerkovich
Mar 28, 20206 min
Updated: Mar 16, 2021
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It dawned on me yesterday some of us stuck at home might be taking on a primal 'eat-more-than-you-need-because-this-might-be-the-last-one' survival diet approach seen in the wild.
In the animal kingdom, predatory over-consumption is an important adaptive skill.
But not in all situations.
If you're a lion or cheetah you don't know when that next meal might come.
Any meal might be your last.
Most jungles, as we're all aware, don't come with a Costco, Safeway, Tesco, 7-Eleven, or Foodworld.
But where we live, such places are in full supply. Minus toilet paper of course.
And yet we might be trending towards destabilizing what we eat, and how we live for no good reason.
Over consumption may have conspicuously started right under your nose, because of images like this:
After all, it does feel like the end of the world at times, being stuck at home. Doesn't it?
We know now as a fact, COVID-19 is on an exponential rise in many places around the world.
But besides doing our homework to understand facts instead of fiction, the most important thing we can do now is take care of ourselves and those around us.
The fact is, with a little self discipline, and a few healthier routines, we will not only survive this, many of us WILL find a way to thrive.
There is a silver lining and it starts with what you're about to do next.
After-all - this, all of this - really is just about our mindset. And nothing now matters more.
But in order to take care of our mind, and the new opportunities that come, we must first maintain or rebuild a strong foundation. This is the concept of Inspired Foundations. Nothing great or substantial can last without a well rooted and deeply established system or foundation.
All of us right now need to be at our best. We're stuck in a storm that will be a marathon.
So let's take a quick look at a few ways each of us can maintain or rebuild towards a healthy foundation.
If there ever was a time to be stuck at home it is now. Never before have we lived with so much information, education, and tools at our finger tips. But not all routines require technology. By focusing our minds and incorporating these simple daily routines we will help ensure that each day is a good day that allows us to thrive.
1. Wake up and DON'T listen to the News. Not right away. Enjoy your coffee or tea first. Cognitive research finds we are drawn to bad news naturally as a defence mechanism. Too much bad news creates a negative feedback loop that can distort our reality. So ease into your news day. Don't rush in. There will be plenty of time for COVID-19 updates, text messages, and news alerts later.
2. Virtual Coffee Breaks via Zoom - Call or video a good friend or family you can't see in person now. It's easy to take for granted those most important to us in our lives. Call them and see how they're doing. Zoom is a free application I've used for work. Facetime, and Whatsapp video are great too.
3. Breathe. Stretch. Exercise in the morning - Have you tried online guided Yoga? For the past week, my wife and I have taken the 20-30 mins to enjoy Yoga with Adriene, which includes a huge variety of free 30 day classes - she's become an internet sensation and it's easy to see why.
4. Dress Like You're Going Out. Put on something that makes you feel good. Your favourite shirt, pants, or outfit. Dress up. It will empower you. What you wear has an effect on your confidence.
5. Clean or Rearrange your Workspace. If you're living in a space that you've been planning to rearrange do it now. Put in the hour or two or five and make it happen. Create a great workspace and thrive.
6. Eat Healthy Lunches and Dinners - my wife and I enjoy Fresh Prep for the quality and creative meals. This of course is when I'm not eating bacon or chips. But hey, cheat days are cool too. Just not daily.
7. Exercise - Go for a Walk around Lunchtime - One of the most underrated forms of exercise is walking. The best days last week for us consisted of prioritizing a walk at lunchtime. Rain or shine, go outside at lunchtime and walk, if you can. or if you're not sure how to get started here's a great comprehensive article that personal trainer Andy at Homegym101.com recommends.
8. Afterwork Walks / Hikes too. @ 4 or 5pm. Repeat that walk again after work. Or instead if you can't go out at lunch. And if you can get away from the city go for a hike on a trail or in the woods, as long as you know there won't be hundreds of your neighbours all heading there too.
9 . Pets. Get pets. The Time is Now. Pets, specifically dogs and cats, are full of unconditional love. They will make you laugh. They need saving too. Our two cats were from a rescue shelter called Tinykittens.
And no these are not our cats. Our cats are too lazy to learn how to press a bell for food.
10 Jokes. Laughter. Memes. Comedy. Cat videos? The only thing more exponential than the COVID-19 virus is the amount of meme's, videos, images and other jokes sent out over the phone. Laughing is great for your health.
11. Music Will Improve your Mood. Novelist Kurt Vonnegut once said, “Music is, to me, proof of the existence of God. It is so extraordinarily full of magic, and in tough times of my life I can listen to music and it makes such a difference.”
12. Core Strength Building. Your body needs exercise every day. Thankfully there are plenty of core exercises any of us can do to build and maintain a strong body at home. Get moving. Start with pushups. Or checkout BioHack, a friends site which includes next level advanced strength training.
13. Find Your Flow - Flow will change your life. Flow for me is writing, drawing and exercise. But for you it might be chess. Or knitting. It might be working on your car or gardening. If you haven't yet read my article on Flow, link above.
14. Work with your hands. At home projects will have you moving around your apartment or house. We were not designed to sit in front of a computer all day. Or in front of a TV. Start a new project or finish one you've meaning to get at.
15. Listen to Podcasts - Podcasts can be educational, entertaining, informative. My favourites are Arm Chair Expert Tim Ferris, Joe Rogan and Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. If that hands on project above is not one you're looking forward to, a great podcast will help you pass the time.
16. After 7pm Turn off the Bad News. Reduce your COVID-19 updates and trending news stories. Stop watching any COVID-19 news by 7pm at night. Each night.
17. Read A Book. A great book is a great companion. Books, great books will change how you see the world. After dinner, read instead of watching youtube or Netflix. Need some great book ideas? Here are the top rated books of all time according to Good Reads.
18. Write. Journal. Put your thoughts on paper. Express yourself. Define your goals for the week ahead. Writing down your goals in short bullets will help build ideas to help define the future you.
19. Sleep Early. While sleep can't stop us from catching COVID-19, a solid nights sleep is incredibly good at building and maintaining a healthy immune system. There are so may great reasons to get a full nights sleep. Checkout my article: Sleep is Your Superpower.
20. Meditation Daily - In good weather and bad, meditation will improve your life. It will ground you by calming a relentlessly active mind. If you haven't started meditation yet, now is the time.
21. Practice Gratitude. Practice on Improving your Internal Dialogue. Each night before you go to bed, take a moment to close your eyes and focus on how the day went. Tools to Practice Gratitude and Build your internal dialogue.
Thanks again for reading. Stay strong, stay healthy and thrive.
- Goran Yerkovich
Get your Free eBook The Inspired Guide to Self-Evaluation when you"Subscribe" and join the thousands who read The-Inspired.com for FREE each week. Featured on Quora, Facebook, Medium and LinkedIn.
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THE-INSPIRED'S RECOMMENDED LINKS:
Flow Will Change your Life
https://www.the-inspired.com/post/what-is-flow-happiness-meets-optimized-experience
Do Animals Over Eat in the Wild?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/science/do-animals-overeat-in-the-wild.html
Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271
Why a Clean Workspace is Good for Your Mental Health
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/why-a-clean-workspace-is-good-for-your-mental-health/
Top Rated Books of All Time According to Good Reads
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2681.Time_Magazine_s_All_Time_100_Novels
Meditation - Skinny Dipping, Polar Bears, & Debunking Common Myths of Meditation
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About the author - Goran Yerkovich is the founder of The-Inspired.com, an online magazine designed to help readers reach their personal goals. The-Inspired includes some of the best tools, tactics, and habits from the greatest minds of today and yesterday. Goran lives in the greater Vancouver area with his wife and two cats Kimchi and Kauai.
Goran Yerkovich Founder, The-inspired.com