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 A few LDN readers share their personal strategies:
LCU alum Kim Vander Pal said it is a “struggle to focus on growth
during this time in our lives when we are working remotely and not
interacting with family members as we used to (do.) Growth has to be
an area you task yourself to focus on.”
Vander Pal said, “Whether it is scheduling time in your work
calendar or taking those 20 minutes between tasks, find time. Take
time to outline your growth goals with deadlines. Take a walk and
during your walk, pray for peace during troubled times. To make your
decisions concrete, she recommends making a goal board.
Lincoln College professor Crystal Wurth has appreciated more family
time with the kids. The family loves kayaking and float trips on the
creek.
Wurth said, “We purchased a camper this fall and spent almost every
weekend in September and October at campgrounds enjoying many
central Illinois sites. Allowing our kids to explore outside and
away from their computer screens has been a blessing.”
Dr. Kristen Green said her family has played a lot of board games
together. She has also read some books to expand on her knowledge of
raising poultry, including one on the history of, “Why did the
chicken cross the ocean?”
Green’s husband has been working from home and had time to make
healthy meals. Taking walks has been another way for the family to
lose weight and get healthier.
Helping others is something Flossie and Delzena’s owner Heather
Klopp-Cosby has done. She said, “Professionally and personally, it
does not take long to look around and see someone who needs help.”
Klopp-Cosby has done a lot of cooking and making care packages for
others, “It’s been a great exercise in humility.” She said,
“Bringing people food is always welcome, especially now when many
are broke, sick, or just sick of cooking. Instead of feeling sorry
for myself and the trials of this pandemic on my life, I’m trying to
focus on helping others. It works.”
If writing helps you through challenging times, you could try
writing a book like Lincoln resident Karrie Funk did.
During the shelter in place, Funk started doing watercolors of birds
stacked on top of each other and made it look like they were talking
to somebody in the house. Funk said it made her think that is what
it is like being on quarantine in our homes.
She then posted the picture on Facebook with a caption that said,
“How are you doing in there?” and got a lot of positive feedback.
When friends started remote learning, Funk drew a picture and posted
it. She said soon ideas began flooding in because covid has changed
our whole lives.
After a while, people encouraged her to compile the pictures in a
book, so that is what she did. Funk said she received some help from
Amanda Kitterman on the writing and from Lisa Kuhlman on the design
and sending it to a publisher. Funk’s book Covid Diaries: A
collection of unique memories for all ages was recently published
and is available at Small Town Creations and on Amazon.
Ideas for personal improvement:
Journaling
If you struggle with negative feelings, reflecting on and recording
your personal thoughts may help you to recognize triggers that lead
to anxiety, stress and depression.
To turn that around, write a mission statement about your dreams and
goals—“My mission in life is . . .”
Ideas for relational improvement
Reach out
Reaching out to others reduces a sense of isolation. In a Mayo
Clinic article ‘Stress, depression and the holidays: Tips for
coping,’ it says, “If you feel lonely or isolated, seek out
community, religious or other social events or communities. Many may
have websites, online support groups, social media sites or virtual
events. They can offer support and companionship.”
Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts or Marco Polo can also help you
connect with people. While gatherings this holiday season are
restricted, consider doing a video chat through one of these
networks.
Phone calls are another good way to connect to people. When you are
talking to friends or family on the phone, you can interview them,
hear stories you have never heard about them and learn more about
their lives.
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Correspond through email with someone in another
country, missionaries, former exchange students, and work contacts.
To stay in touch in a low-tech manner, write letters or send
Christmas cards to friends and family. Letters not only consume some
time, but give you an opportunity to reflect on the good things that
have happened and share remembrances, and who doesn’t hold on to
cards with pictures and messages to be remembered again at a later
time. Magic happens when you put pen to paper.
Other ideas for cultivating relationships
Find more ways to have fun with the family:
Play board games together.
Do an indoor scavenger hunt hiding various items around the house.
Work on a giant puzzle together.
Play online trivia or online video games with friends.
Decorate your tree and house early for a little extra joy this year.
Make a game of finding hidden Christmas presents by writing out
clues to find them.
Take photos of the family having fun and make photo books or
scrapbooks.
If you have boxes and bins with old photos, now would also be a good
time to organize those into albums or send some to friends and
family members.
Bake cakes, cookies or other desserts with your family and then
enjoy eating them or deliver to friends.
If you are trying to stay away from sweets, do some healthy cooking
together. Learn to choose and use avocados and other fresh produce.
Ideas for self-improvement
Expand your knowledge and further your education.
Take time to learn something new by enrolling in a free open
learning course to study something you have always wanted to learn
more about. Watch YouTube lectures or Ted Talks on a variety of
subjects. Take college courses whether you are working toward a
degree or doing continuing education. Find free professional
development courses to help further your career.
If you like learning, learn all the things your computer or high
tech cell phone can do by accessing apps you have never used.
Find a new hobby or teach yourself a new skill. That could include
doing origami, quilting, knitting or crocheting.
Learn to dance by watching YouTube videos.
Getting in shape
Physical fitness can boost both your mental and physical health.
There are many activities you can do to exercise such as hiking,
riding bikes, working out to exercise videos, including yoga.
Practice self-care
A couple ways to do that is to relax by taking a bubble bath or
doing an at home spa day.
Pull out your old instrument from high school and start playing it
again or relearning it.
Home improvement
Housecleaning and redecorating can help you get organized and get
rid of clutter, which is good for you. Studies have shown
housecleaning and organizing lead to better physical health by
improving your personal environment.
Detail your Ferrari. Ha, ha, if you do not have a luxury sport car,
you may find that even your Corolla will look nicer with a thorough
cleaning, waxing or some enhancement.
Jumpstart your garden by planning out next spring’s garden. Seed
catalogs usually start arriving in January and you can start
ordering seed packets.
Redesign your landscape to beautify your property.
This year you have a big opportunity to do things different. Make
the most of this opportunity to change it up, and maybe it will be a
time you will remember with appreciation. You might even long for
this brief interlude of semi-solitude and reduced demands in the
years that come.
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