Hey hey! Coming at ya today with a quick sanity check because lord knows I need the occasional one in this time, and maybe you’re the same. I thought I would continue with the trend of what I shared in this post, and basically try to do these weekly updates with things that are currently bringing me joy/keeping me sane, in the hopes that maybe you’ll be inspired to try some of them or discover some of your own.
Trust me, I know how easy it is to just wrap yourself in your blanket burrito-style, turn on your favorite romcom for the 90th time, and proclaim woe to the world as you sob a little too hard at the cheesy moments. And yes, sometimes we all need that.
But when you feel strong enough, and when you feel that pull to maybe find something to lift you up a bit, here’s a little list of what’s really helped me this week.
Finals
LOL weird one to start with but hear me out. I am currently in the thick of finals season — my very last finals season, to be exact (unless I go to grad school or something). And no, this is NOTHING like I ever expected my last finals season to be, but here we are, and call me crazy but I don’t want to wish away this time as I normally do.
Yes, finals and papers can be annoying AF and sometimes I find myself watching ridiculous videos on YouTube just because my motivation is buried so deep I can’t even see it with a flashlight. But. It’s not lost on me that there’s something special about these lasts. So it’s actually been really great to focus on the work and really truly enjoy the process. At least, most of the time. 😉
Movement
Again, this is a constant source of sanity and joy. Here’s a few that I really really loved this past week.
I paired this short kickboxing routine with this intense upper body strength workout. Killer!
I turned on random dance tunes and had me a solo dance party + 30 minute abs
This flexibility yoga flow was perfect on my sore muscles and felt like a massage (I miss those)
This power yoga flow was crazy on the arms and core and left me sweating, but also so calm and relaxed. #whyiloveyoga
This hiit workout is one of my favorites for when I’m low on time but want something INTENSE. Especially awesome after a day of studying/writing papers.
Listening
My saving grace in this time has undoubtedly been music. Like movement, it’s always been a part of my life and one of my earliest loves, but perhaps never before has it hit as hard as now. I find myself occasionally coming across a song that so deeply resonates with exactly what I’m feeling that I start crying. And then I send it to my boyfriend so he can cry with me. 🙂
If you’re wondering what some of these songs are, I made a little playlist called quarantine feels that you can follow here. I’m constantly adding new ones, but feel free to give me some suggestions. 🙂
In this post, I mentioned the phenomenal concert put together by Lady Gaga. You can find all the performances in this playlist here. So beautiful. <3
As for podcasts, still not listening all that much but I recently loved this one on the Chasing Joy podcast all about presence in this time. Also this one about why it’s okay if you haven’t found your “purpose” yet.
Connection
Truth be told, I haven’t much felt like talking too much this past week. I noticed that on most of my walks, I just wanted to be in silence. I like to walk around this really nice neighborhood near the beach, just a few blocks from where I live, and admire all the beautiful houses. My dog loves these long walks, and I love spending that intentional time with her right now. So yes, connection with my dog is bringing me joy right now LOL. (I mean, who can relate?)
But also, I’ve started sweetly asking my mom for hugs sporadically because we’re not really a hugging type of family, but as long as we ask, we’ll get it. It’s crazy to me that I haven’t touched a human who’s not my mom in two months, but I’m grateful she’s here. She gives really good hugs. 🙂
And the boy. <3 FaceTiming him every night often ends up being the highlight of my day, and though I always somehow stay up a lot later than I’d planned, it’s always worth it because when I hang up I usually feel a gajillion times better than before I’d dialed.
And that’s it for today. Keep hanging in there. And I’d love to hear your own sanity checks in the comments down below. Or you can always shoot me an email at nicolerosalyn@laughingmyabsoff.com. I’d love to connect 🙂
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