Weekly Update #3 (3/31-4/5)

Hey all! Wowza it has been a bit since a weekly update, but I felt now was a good time to talk about how quarantine is going and to provide some inspo to help you survive it. I hope each of you are safe and healthy and that you can find something to take away from this post. Without further ado…

My week:

Well, usually this section would be bigger than it is this time around, but on the bright side, it’s probably refreshing for you to not have to read a lot from me! This week mainly consisted of adjusting to online school, working out daily, blogging, being productive, having a lot of family time, relaxing here & there, doing chores, and of course, staying in. I am sure my week looked a lot like your week because there is only so much you can do when you’re restricted to your home. Each day brings different emotions and moods, like feeling sad to lazy to productive to angry to hopeful to relaxed etc… From senior year being cancelled, to all the pain and suffering in the world right now, I have tried to allow myself grace on the bad days and to let myself feel each emotion because shelving them is a recipe for disaster down the road. If you are interested in hearing more about that in particular, here is my Instagram post where I detailed it. All that aside, I am feeling very blessed with health, safety, and a good support system during this time. I truly miss being able to go out and see people at any time, but I understand and support why that can’t happen; we all need to make sacrifices for the greater good, especially now. Also, it has been refreshing and peaceful to have some time away from the typical run-of-the-mill busy schedule and to have time to do things I never had time for before. I hope you are able to find the positives and engage in new and/or joy-bringing activities during quarantine. For more about my Covid-19 opinions, see this post.

Weekly Challenge for you:

Create a weekly/daily schedule for yourself. It can be as structured or as loose as you want it to be, but we should all be on some type of schedule because that is our normal and that is how we thrive. My weekly schedule has 3 different tasks to complete each day (for example, Monday is to write a thank you note, read, and do some type of body self care). Since I am always on a tight schedule outside of quarantine, I enjoy having some direction of tasks to complete but without a down-to-the-hour structure. Use this time to your advantage to learn something new, pick up a hobby, reconnect with old friends, and find creative ways to serve others. Relaxation and laziness can be good to an extent, but you will eventually go stir crazy without any sort of daily purpose or structure.

Bible Verses:

One thing that really provided me comfort was reminding myself that God is listening and God hears you. It might be hard to see and feel God during this time, but know that He is always here and providing comfort and hope in ways we cannot always see.

Psalm 66:19 “But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.”

1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”

What to get DONE:

That project, that assignment, that task you have been procrastinating on, that one thing you have been avoiding… You know exactly what I am talking about. Once it is finally completed, you will feel productive, relieved, and accomplished--Now, what are you waiting for??

What to AVOID:

Too much screen time or social media. As we all know, there are a lot of negative effects on our bodies and minds when we have too much technology. Make sure you are taking breaks, staying active, and keeping your mind healthy by reading or journaling. It can help to track your screen time hours, check which apps you need to spend less time on, set time limits on apps, or to only allow a certain period of each day for screens.

Quotes:

“Just because something doesn’t go as planned doesn’t mean it’s useless.” Thomas Edison

-Clearly none of us would have anticipated quarantine. The question is not how to control the uncertainty and challenges, but how you are going to react to it. Use this time to better yourself, your relationships, and your surroundings.

“This too shall pass.” Persian adage

-This situation is not infinite. There is light and freedom and normalcy at the end of this waiting for us. Don’t lose sight of what is good during this time, and never lose hope. We will get through this together.

Sending love, thoughts, prayers, and health,

Caroline

*P.S. Before I go, I wanted to give a major shoutout to anyone fighting this virus on the front lines from leaders, medical workers, news reporters, grocery clerks, and so much more... You are doing amazing and making a difference. Thank you for your strength and leadership!*