We are all tired of living with the demands of Covid. The masks, the distancing, the fear and anxiety. But it is still important to do what we must to remain healthy, both for ourselves and for others. So we do it.
But there are ways to spice up and bring newness into our Covid environment. All it takes is some sensory “changing up.”
Here are some ideas to challenge the familiar ordinary (apparently I read a book about this, but I didn’t write down the title):
- Wake up and smell the vanilla (citrus, peppermint, rosemary)
- Shower and/or dress with your eyes closed
- Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand
- Choose your clothes by texture
- Walk around your home blindfolded; see if you can find your keys, etc.
- Vary your usual sequence of activities
- Take a scented bath – add music, candles, body scrub, etc.
- Read aloud (even if there is no one to hear you)
- Identify objects by touch, not sight
- Pair odors with specific tasks (nutmeg or cinnamon enhance productivity)
- Turn a picture, clock or calendar upside down for the day
- Sit in a different seat at mealtimes
- Be creative: try a new recipe, a new craft, etc.
- Sit (indoors or out) and just listen to the sounds around you.
- Work a puzzle (jigsaw, sudoku, etc.)
- Sit while listening to music. Give yourself permission to just “be” or, if you feel like it, to dance and sing (no one is watching, right?)
- Explore something new: braille, NATO Alphabet, sign language.
- Look into something that’s previously interested you but you’ve never got round to doing
- Try origami
The whole idea is to inject some novelty into your life just when Covid seems to have won. And if you have a computer, the Web is a great place to find ideas and tutorials. So take a chance and make some new experiences.
“Don’t be afraid to try new things.
They aren’t all going to work,
but when you find the one that does,
you’re going to be so proud of yourself for trying.”
Anonymous
“It’s better to look back on life and say, “I can’t believe I did that.”
than to look back and say: “I wish I did that.”
Unknown