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What you choose to do with your time right now will undoubtedly have an impact on your life in about 6 months from now. Many days I have found myself lacking any sort of motivation, since the travel industry is at a standstill and I’m not meeting with travel agents at this time. Part of my day is spent applying to other jobs, while sometimes I find myself in a deep funk of not wanting to do anything at all.

Fortunately I don’t live in an apartment, so I’m able to still go jogging around my neighborhood daily, as long as I respect the 6 ft. social distancing protocols (for now). More and more parks and outdoor recreation places are being closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This leaves us in our homes sometimes feeling hopeless and worried that we are stuck. It’s a horrible feeling, but what if I were to tell you that there are ways to utilize this time to your advantage, and look towards a better future?

The Power of Optimism through Exercise

Exercise is something that I’ve always needed to keep my mind at ease. Running, swimming, biking, kayaking, hiking, lifting weights — these are all activities I revolve throughout the year to stay active. Without having the freedom to maintain daily activities, I’ve had to adapt in order to keep my mind and body in check. Here are my three key pieces of advice:

Make a Schedule for Your Day

Don’t fall into the routine of randomness, by that I mean wake up and aimlessly go about your day. Typically I wake up and swim at Barton Springs or go on a run, or I’ll hit the gym. With none of those options available, I’ve had to adapt to a different routine. Therefore, throughout my day I always make three meals at home – breakfast, lunch, and dinner with takeout maybe once or twice a week. This forces me to get out of bed to make coffee and get the day going with a healthy meal. Then I have the rest of the day to be productive and still workout.

Listen to Music, Read, Watch Influential Documentaries

Music can inspire creativity, positivity, sadness, and many other emotions. That being said, have you ever dived deeper into the sounds and lyrics of music? After watching the Bob Marley documentary on Netflix, I realized that his music was much more revolutionary to the world and specifically Jamaica than I ever knew. Bob was shot at (and survived) five hours before playing an enormous Relief & Peace Concert in his homeland of Jamaica. He decided to perform the show before moving to London where he would live in Exile. That’s when his inspiration for the album “Exodus” was born, and listening to it sparked an epiphany in my mind. We are all basically in exile at this time, with uncertainty everywhere, it’s so easy to find ourselves in a state of anxiety and doubt. Although, this is a time for us to find peace within ourselves in order to create a better future.

Call Friends and Family

Spend a moment of your day FaceTiming or calling a friend or family member. Now is a great time to reconnect with many that you haven’t had time to catch up with during the business of “normal life” that we were so accustom to at one point.

Organize Your Life

We all know that we have a drawer, closet, or secret storage of CRAP that we have been holding off organizing… Well now is a great time to set yourself up for a more fluent and optimized approach to your life! Don’t let those unorganized spaces turn into horrible clutters in your mind. Declutter, disconnect, and return to your best self.

If you have any questions about my routine or would like to learn more, feel free to drop a comment or email me at turneysjourneys@gmail.com!