Top Tips to Thrive While Staying At Home

With the COVID-19 outbreak and the shelter-in-place mandate, it is a very uncertain and interesting time for our Collective Tribe. Whether you are working from home, not working right now, home-schooling your children, or just existing right now, these are some of our top tips to help you thrive during this time!

Create Sleep and Wake Routines

Human beings, like much of nature, are rhythmic and often thrive in environments of routine and structure. This is especially helpful in times of uncertainty or in times when we have no other reference of structure, such as going to school or a place of work. As unsexy as it may seem, going to bed at around the same time and waking up around the same time daily are incredibly important for maintaining hormonal and mood balance.

Staying up late watching Netflix or scrolling on your phone because you know you don’t have to go anywhere the next day may seem tempting, but this actually lowers melatonin, your sleep and immune supportive hormone, and it delays your cortisol boost in the morning, which is what makes you feel energized and ready to take on the day.

Decide how many hours of sleep you desire, I recommend between 7-9 for optimal health, and what your desired wake time is. Then work backwards to know when you get to go to bed. The hardest and most important part of that is honoring it. Keep in mind your health goals and how good you feel when you honor this boundary for yourself and stick with it!

Avoid Snoozing or Sleeping Past Your Alarm

Many of us used to wake up to an alarm because we had somewhere to be. If you are working form home and have meetings and deadlines, you may still be using your alarm clock, although many of us may have more flexibility in our schedules. I urge you to not push snooze or go back to bed after waking up. This wrecks havoc on your hormones and drops your morning cortisol, affecting your energy and mood for the entire day. One of the best tips I share with my patients is to wake up as soon as you wake up, either naturally or from an alarm clock. Get out of bed, move your body, and get going for the day. You will be amazed at how good you feel.

Get Dressed for the Day

There is an energetic shift that happens when you wake up and get dressed, put your makeup on, or do your hair. It subconsciously tells your body that you are no longer sleeping or lounging around and it puts you into a positive and more energetic state. It’s important to dress for the energy you want and there is a big difference in how you feel when you are in oversized sweat pants with a top bun versus work clothes, whether it is at home or not. So continue whatever routine you did before you were at home 24/7 for optimal energy and productivity.

Think About Your Meals Ahead of Time and Eat Consistently

While many of us used our daily work or school routines to dictate when we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it’s important to not get stuck on the couch until 3 pm and realize you still haven’t eaten for the day. Because it’s more challenging to run out and grab something, it’s important to think ahead on what meal you are going to eat or make so you continue to eat three balanced meals a day. This is essential for balancing your blood sugar and maintaining a positive mood, optimal energy, and reducing anxiety. This can be the perfect opportunity to learn how to cook or learn new recipes or skills in the kitchen. To learn about my Building a Balanced Meal principles and for an easy to follow video-based cooking course, check out the Tribe Cooking Code course that we are offering for 75% off during the duration of this outbreak!

Use code: COVID to receive 75%

Separate Work and Home As Much As Possible

If you are working from home during this time, it’s important to create as much of a separation as possible from the two. Many people who already work at home often find this out when it feels like you never have a break from work. It shows up in your bedroom, your kitchen, and your living room. It feels like you never get to “clock out.” If you have the space, attempt to create an energetic or physical separation between where you do work and where you and your family eat, sleep, and enjoy life. In our home, my husband has moved into the garage and I converted our second bedroom into an office. If you don’t have the space to have a physical separation, avoid working in your bedroom or where you eat your meals. Keep these spaces sacred for self-care and rest.

Limit Social Media, News, and TV

Whether you choose to relax and do a technology detox during this time or you choose to busy yourself in other ways, it is healthiest for your immune system, mood, morale, and overall health to limit information overload. The news is designed to suck you in and keep you in a fear-based overwhelmed and addicted state. Choose something else to fill your time.

This is a great time to practice stillness, sitting in your yard or playing with your children, meditating, moving, exercising, or simply just being, rather than doing.

Fill Your Time With Things that Bring You Joy

If you do feel called to do something, this time can be seen as a gift. Many of us needed to slow down and re-prioritize our lives. Take this opportunity to choose to engage in activities that really bring you joy. Here are some of our favorites that you may consider trying during this time.

• Create a gratitude practice - this helps to raise your vibration and boost your mood and energy

  • Positive affirmations

  • Journaling

  • Daily inspirational mantras 

• Sit in silence and do nothing

• Read a book

• Listen to your favorite podcasts

• Video chat with friends and family

• Write letters - although you can call your friends and family on video chat, it may be nice to go back to snail mail and write letters to those you love most!

• Practice cooking or baking and freeze extras for later

• Take an online course 

  • Coursera is offering online courses for free from Ivy League schools all over the country

  • Check out our Tribe Cooking Code course for 75% off!

• Plant a garden - an herb garden to make your own medicine or grow some fruits or veggies

• Meditate

• Learn a new art or craft such as macrame

• Play games with whoever is in your house or play virtual games with loved ones

• Exercise or move your body in a new way - a lot of programs are offering free online classes and trials for two weeks and there is always YouTube for many, many options!

• Get outside in whatever capacity you can, practicing social distancing and wearing a scarf or mask if that makes you feel more comfortable.

It is important to stay positive and surrender to the fact that things will be different for right now. Change can bring about wonderful discoveries about ourselves and the world around us. I urge you to try and use this time to learn more about yourself and embrace being given the opportunity to slow down, go inward, or do things you may not have tried before. Remember, this too shall pass. Enjoy the journey as much as you possibly can!

Wishing you all health during this time!

Dr. Leah Gordon and the Tribe Team