Many of us find ourselves stressed and restless these days, home more than we are accustomed to with very few outlets for energy. I continue praying that this virus affects as few lives as possible and that our lives can return to some semblance of normal.
With kids cooped up and business lives disrupted, it can be difficult to find calm in the storm. I worked with my team on this edition of Rusty's corner. Here are 7 things that we've been doing to get through. We hope some of these ideas are helpful to you!
- Create an Outdoor Oasis - This has been my go-to at the end of the day. Cassie and I hung a hammock that we've had laying around for ages, and it has been a great addition. Mostly, we lay in it and watch our son play in the sprinklers or play in the dirt. It gets him and us out of the house, and is relaxing to get away from all the digital distractions inside.
- Teen Cooking Class - Bren, our office manager, has two teen sons at home and has been spending time in the kitchen teaching them to cook. With time on their hands and eating at home, it's been a great opportunity for making pizza from scratch and letting them come up with nightly menus.
- Child's Play - Bionca, our project coordinator, has been building Lego kits with her son. It's something that they can do together and that she loved doing in the past, but had slipped away with the business of life.
- Neighborhood Games - Michelle, our Controller, has been playing games that her neighbors have set up like Hopscotch and Bear Hunting with her son. It's just another thing to get outdoors and enjoy family time together.
- Start an Edible or Pollinator Garden - This is the perfect time of year to install plants that are edible or pollinator-friendly. From Tomato plants and Rosemary to Lantana and Milkweed, many different garden options are available. One of our team counted 5 monarch butterfly caterpillars on their milkweed plants this week!
- Watch Movies Together Digitally - A team member shared an app called Rave with me, which allows you to watch movies together while being physically distant through platforms like Netflix and YouTube. They have been using this to keep their movie night tradition going with their adult children!
- Get Active. As someone who is used to going to the gym daily, this has been one of the most difficult changes. I am grateful for my new morning routine with a jog in the neighborhood and the abundance of online workouts available to keep me motivated.