What a historical moment we are experiencing right now. Across the globe, there’s feelings of uncertainty, worry and probably a little boredom. As a lover of all thing slow and handmade, here’s how I have been coping with social distancing.
Simple Joys is a blog series where I share the small things in life that help us slow down and enjoy the moment. Read all Simple Joys posts here.
Mending + Making
It’s been lovely to find extra time to do what I love most: make stuff with my hands! I am homeschooling my two girls, but the complete lack of outings really do add up to extra craft time.
I’ve managed to mend rips in my favourite shirt, make a ruffle sleeve dress , knit in front of the TV and work on a new sewing pattern (coming soon in my shop). I’ve also been playing more piano and teaching Umi some simple songs.
Focusing on the task at hand helps ease the mind, and gives my mind a little break from thinking about what’s going on in the world.
If you’d like to take this opportunity to slow down, and make something, the free Little Boxy Dress Sewing Workshop is just the thing to get you on your way:
Resources: Petite Knit knitting patterns (I'm making Anna's Cardigan), Little Boxy Dress Sewing Workshop, Sew in Love free patterns
Daily Meditation
I've always admired people who could meditate. Their calm presence, steady mood and quiet happiness always appealed to me. But I always found it difficult to sit still with my eyes closed for so long.
A few weeks ago—just as this pandemic really blew up—a friend invited me to join a 21 day meditation challenge. I'm so glad I said yes! A group challenge (and social distancing) was just what I needed to get me started.
I'm a few days away from completing my challenge and meditation is now a daily habit. When you value something, it becomes easy to do and find time to make it happen.
The benefits of meditation are too many to list here, but from personal experience alone, I'd love for you to give it a try. There are apps which make it really easy to get started.
Resources: Benefits of meditation, Deepak Chopra's 21 Day Meditation Challenge, Calm app, Headspace app
Gardening and Green Spaces
Who else's garden is looking its best? Indoor plants thriving for once? Being home All. The. Time. means I'm weeding, watering and pruning consistently.
Going out to buy food at stores is kind of stressful right now, right? So I'm much more motivated to grow vegetables in our garden—even if it only means I can stretch out the time between supermarket visits by a few extra days.
There's lots of science behind gardening, green spaces and wellbeing. For me personally, it gives me a sense of purpose, a fun challenge and a daily appreciation for mother nature.
I'm growing broccoli, carrots, strawberries, beetroot, beans and cucumbers right now. I also love to grow flowers, so I have zinnia, violets, borage and marigold blooming. What fun it is to watch things grow!
Virtual Coffee Dates
Unlike the people who went through the Spanish flu 100 years ago, we have the internet—which makes staying connected super easy. I've been enjoying video calls with friends (in my pyjamas) and it might sound crazy, but I feel MORE connected to them than before the pandemic.
I started taking jazz piano lessons this year, and they have moved completely online. It works surprisingly well...trying doing that even 5 years ago!
If you haven't scheduled in some video catch-ups, I highly recommend it. Just reach out to that person you've been thinking about, but haven't got around to contacting. Now is the perfect time to finally re-connect. I'm sure they are just waiting for you to say hi.
I saw a quote on Instagram (can't remember the original author), but it said something like, "It's not social distancing, it's distant socialising"!
Resources: Zoom and FaceTime on Facebook
