Tag: inspiration

Audio Podcasts to Keep Us Going

More ways to occupy our time

Many of us who are mostly at home have reached a high level of boredom. No matter how interesting our activities, we’ve probably been doing the same things for quite a well.

To help us stay on an even keel, the AAA has devised an audio playlist for us to listen to during our stay at home.

Here are some selections from the AAA.

All Told— A human-interest podcast by The Washington Post. It reports first-hand stories of Americans whose lives are affected by the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve recently interviewed a physician assistant, a minister for the homeless and even a blues musician.

Coronavirus Daily — NPR’s new podcast reporting on coronavirus, hosted by Kelly McEvers of the NPR show, Embedded. Coronavirus Daily posts updates every weekday, and they’re usually about ten minutes long.

Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction — A podcast by CNN, hosted by their chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. This show also updates every weekday.

Coronavirus Global Update — A podcast by BBC World Service, which reports on coronavirus from affected areas around the world. Unlike the previous two podcasts, Coronavirus Global Update has a far more, well, global perspective.

Staying In with Emily and Kumail— Married couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani are staying in – like a lot of us are. Their podcast is all about getting through life “in the weirds,” their term for the current situation. All proceeds from Staying In go to charities who are helping to alleviate the effects of the coronavirus.

 

Be Kind to Mom This Sunday

Thank you moms everywhere. You are the best.

This post is in honor of moms all around the world. Please be kind to every mom this Sunday. 

In fact, we should really celebrate moms every day of the year. They deserve it. My wife and I lost our moms several years ago. Yet, we still remember them and are appreciative for what they did for us. 

And I personally dedicate this post to the best mom I know today, my wife and LOML (love of my life) Linda, the mother of  our two daughters Jennifer and Stacey.

Be Kind to Mom This Sunday

 

Tools for a Calmer YOU

FREE tools to help you relax.

Today, we look at tools for a calmer YOU. And we focus on the Calm.com Web site. [Please note: Calm.com offers both free and premium access to its site. As a nonprofit blog, we emphasize free materials. And Calm’s free features offer a lot of tools.]

But first, review this comment from GCC Exchange:

“Keeping calm is a bliss that most of us don’t realize in life. When you keep calm in the most dreadful conditions of life, you open up the avenues for solutions. Thus, it is important to sort out even the major crises of your life. Everyone deals with the harsh challenges our lives give to us. And to survive into this busy world, we need to be patient. There are times when you need to stay mum instead of quibbling over a thing. Yes, sometimes we face circumstances where it is difficult to keep calm. Nonetheless, you still need to try!”

Free Calm.com Tools for a Calmer YOU

According to Calm.com:

“We’re the #1 app for Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation, with over 50 million downloads and over 700,000 5-star reviews. We’re honored to be an Apple BEST OF 2018 award winner, Apple’s App of the Year 2017, Google Play Editor’s Choice 2018, and to be named by the Center for Humane Technology as ‘the world’s happiest app’.”

Free Vs. Premium Access to Calm.com

The distinction appears in the help section of Calm.com. As highlighted here.

Free from Calm.com

As Calm.com notes at its blog:

“These challenging times remind us that it’s never enough to just look after ourselves. We must look after each other too. This is what it means to Calm Together. In that spirit, we’ve handpicked some of our favorite meditations, sleep stories, movement exercises, journals, and music. All of the resources on this page are free to use, and to share. May they bring you, and those around you, peace.”

Click the image to access these free programs.

Tools for a Calmer YOU

 

Happiness While Self-Quarantining

Several keys for being happier NOW.

Yes, we know that self-quarantining is tough on us. Both physically and psychologically. But, we need to fight our way through COVID-19. Today, we consider the keys to happiness in any situation.

First, take a look at these prior posts:

Keys to Happiness While Self-Quarantining

In doing research for this post, we visited a number of online sources. The following observations synthesize our research, as articulated by two of those sources.

From Wanderlust Worker

Emotional Well-Being: 7 Keys to Happiness:

  1. Practice mindfulness — Meditate and concentrate on the here and now. Discard negative thoughts. Learn to connect body and mind and see the positive side of your daily life situations. Do not live in the future, do not worry about things that have not yet happened, and live the moment.
  2. Exercise — Exercising regularly makes you feel better about yourself. Not only does it increase your energy levels, but it also reduces stress.
  3. Surround yourself with positive people — Spend time with family and friends [even if remotely], so you’ll never regret not having spent time with them. Your relationships with others are fundamental to your being happy. That is why you should cherish them.
  4. Listen to music —  This provides many psychological benefits, and, moreover, we can control our mood depending on the type of music we listen to.
  5. Get outdoors and enjoy the good weather — The sun is a powerful natural antidepressant. So, get off the sofa and switch off the TV. 
  6. Accept yourself as you are — We all go through bad times and it’s not good for you to keep your feelings to yourself. Pretending that everything is going well will only frustrate you and make you even more miserable.
  7. Find time for yourself — You must always find a moment during each day to dedicate to yourself.

From Red Online

The 10 Keys to Happiness That Are Scientifically Proven:

Happiness While Self-Quarantining
 

At-Home Activities to Stimulate Us

Engage your body and mind. Think positive.

On Tuesday, we looked  at what we should do now – cleanliness. Today, we look at in-home activities to stimulate us.

Food for Thought: At-Home Activities to Stimulate Us

As we seek to find our own routine, we turn to the Automobile Association of America (AAA) for suggestions. According to the AAA:.

“News of the COVID-19 is everywhere. And many people try their best to stay healthy and help slow the virus’s spread. Due to high transferability, acts like social distancing, working remotely ,and self-quarantining are used as precautionary measures. Stuck inside the house for a while? Make make the most of it. Here’s how to stay busy, entertained, productive and healthy at home.”

        • Home maintenance — Start with home projects you’ve been meaning to get to, like small repairs or organizing a junk drawer, closet, and so on.. Go through your fridge, pantry, and cabinets, getting rid of anything expired.
        • Self-maintenance —  Take care of your physical and mental health, and know how to keep your mind busy,
        • Use technology — Watch movies. Play video games. Listen to music. 
        • Connect with others — Text. Face Time. Call..
        • Get creative — Do something artistic, like drawing, painting, scrapbooking, crafts, or writing. 
        • Engage your brain — If you enjoy learning, take online classes, quizzes or try watching some how-to videos/tutorials. Do crossword puzzles and/or Sudoku. Read a good book.
        • Connect with others — Text. Face Time. Call..

To conclude, click the image to read more.

What We Should Do Now - Activities to Stay Occupied

Volunteering Is GREAT

Thanks my UCP buddies for giving back to ME!

As this blog title notes, “Volunteering Is GREAT.” And I realized this more than ever while being laid up after my knee replacement surgery.

Last year, I wrote: If you aren’t already doing so, consider volunteering. It’s a true win-win, for those you are helping as well as for YOU. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 It is so rewarding!!

While I was recuperating, I was really, really bored. Besides doctor appointments and physical therapy, I had little to do. As well as limited mobility.

But my United Cerebral Palsy buddies whom I mentor really cheered me up. They called me as a group. Amazingly, I recognized all of their voices. They also sent me a couple of cards signed by many of them. That really made happy.

When I returned on a limited basis two weeks ago, they gave me incredible welcomes. Yelling out Joel, Joel, Joel. Running to give me hugs. And presenting  me with homemade cards. I was almost in tears.

The preceding is what we get back from volunteering: An incredible sense of making a difference with someone else who needs it. I missed volunteering as much as they missed me.

Here’s a story I wrote about the president of our local self-advocacy group, Jaquan Giles. It appeared in the UCP – LI December 2019 newsletter.

Volunteering Is GREAT