18March
Coronavirus: Shifting Our Perspective
First of all – sending so many good vibes your way as Coronavirus spread throughout the world and hoping you and your family are staying healthy during this difficult time! I want to be here for you to lean on and help you get through this as much as I possibly can. One thing I do want to reiterate is that the only thing that we can control right now (outside of following CDC & WHO guidelines and social distancing) is our mindset. We can control the narrative within our mind, as well as lift others up during this time.
When things are uncertain, it’s so easy to be scared and feel very reactive. Since we will be living in a hyper digital world for the foreseeable future,
I urge you to remember that there are living, breathing, human beings behind each of those devices. Spread love, kindness and positivity as much as possible.
If anything isn’t serving you, it’s easier now more than ever to remove that from your life. I’ve never felt more grateful to have a home that I love, food in my fridge and have technology to enable to me to continue to be healthy, active and connect me with my loved ones. That being said, I have included ideas as to how we can help others in the community that need it below and I will be donating to each of the charities. Read on and think of this as your official Coronavirus guide xx
Pantry Staple Recipe Ideas
First of all – a majority of grocery stores still have an abundance of fresh produce. Don’t be afraid to buy and freeze! PLEASE don’t continue to share empty shelves – it’s not helping anyone. It’s solely causing anxiety and panic, which we don’t need. However, here are some ‘shelf stable’ recipes as well:
- High Fiber Seed Crackers
- Vegan Chili – make double & freeze!
- Best Ever Bagels
- No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Grain Free Granola
- Low Carb Chicken Chimichangas – use canned or frozen chicken!
- Cauliflower ‘Oatmeal’ – use frozen cauliflower rice!
- Chickpea Pasta Salad
Some other tips for you too – I like to prep veggies and then add proteins. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. You can have variety very easily! Check out my crack cauliflower recipe to add easily to any protein!
Focusing on the Positives of Coronavirus
It can be easy to focus on all of the negatives surrounding COVID-19, so I wanted to highlight some of the positives (however few and far between they may be):
- Climate Change: According to CNN, Hong Kong’s number of ‘good quality air days’ has increased over 20% from February of last year due to a lack of air pollution. From February 3 to March 1, CO2 emissions lowered 25% in China due to the implemented to contain the coronavirus.
- Time with Family: Whether it be virtual or in-person, COVID-19 is forcing us to slow down, self isolate and spend quality time with our loved ones. It’s like the world forcing us to slow down, and with the world we live in, that’s definitely a positive. Take advantage to recharge!
- Seeing the Good in Others: I don’t know about you, but seeing organizations, individuals and more step up to the plate to lend a helping hand has been awe inspiring. Here are a few of the highlights I’ve seen, check out this article for more:
- Delta: CEO is forgoing his salary for the year to eliminate the possibility of lay offs.
- Erewhon: Offering free delivery for elderly & immune compromised, as well as opening their store early from 6-7am for them.
- Sweetgreen: Offering free sweetgreen for hospital workers and personnel.
- Amazon: Is hiring 100,000 more workers and giving raises to current staff to deal with coronavirus demands.
- Uber & UberEats: Uber is offering 14 days paid sick leave to drivers or delivery drivers, no commission on restaurant orders & free delivery for customers on UberEats.
Lend a Helping Hand
There is nothing better than seeing the online community come together to support each other. Here are ways we can help & also feel more in-control of the situation:
- Offer your services online, discounted, free of charge or with proceeds to a charity. If you have anything to offer online – do it!
- Offer to grocery shop for your elderly or immune compromised friends, neighbors or family. Look at social media and #coronaviruskindness for more ideas.
- Support local businesses by ordering no-contact takeout or purchasing a grocery gift card for someone in need.
- Donate to a local food bank or charity. Here are some good nationwide charities to contribute to:
- CDC Foundation: Supports efforts of Center for Disease Control & Prevention
- CDP COVID-19 Response Fund: Help CDP support preparedness, containment efforts, response and recovery activities for those affected by COVID-19 and for the responders.
- Global Citizen: Donate to help the World Health Organization (WHO) fight coronavirus.
- Good360: They help communities & families get much needed goods during times of need & disaster.
Staying Active During Coronavirus
Daily movement as been SO important for me with working from home. Luckily the fitness community has been INSTRUMENTAL in coming together to offer everyone free, accesible, at home workouts. Here are FREE at-home, minimal equipment workouts:
- Melissa Wood Health: First 7 Days are free for online pilates/yoga flows & meditations.
- Peloton At Home: Offering a FREE 90-Day Trial!
- Obe Streaming: Offers a 7 Day Free Trail and a BIG mix of workouts – everything from Dance Cardio to Pilates. Use code “PURELY30” for 30% off your first month!
- CorePower On Demand: Offering FREE Yoga Streaming for the next 2 weeks!
- LIT Method: FREE Streaming of Low Intensity Training Workouts for the next 30 days with code ““BOLTCULTSTRONG.”!
- The Sculpt Society: Free 14 Day Trial with Megan Roup & her dance cardio/toning classes!
- P.Volve: Offering a FREE 30 Day Trial with code “ONEPVLVE”
- Barry’s: Offering free 20 minute, total body, at home workouts on their Instagram.
Also check out your favorite instructors, fitness bloggers and studios as many are hosting LIVE workouts on Instagram daily.
Creating a Meaningful At-Home Agenda
Again with focusing on the positives of COVID-19/Coronavirus, think about creating a quarantine “bucket list” of the things you always say you don’t have time to do! Here are a few ideas/things on my list:
- Spring Cleaning: Organize your closest & pantry. Get rid of excess and donate to a local shelter once quarantine is over and it will be much appreciated.
- Read a Book: Check out my amazon reads list for my favorites.
- Take Up a New Skill: Skillshare is offering the first 2 months of premium free. You can learn to draw, how to edit videos, interior design skills, how to brew the perfect cup of coffee, etc.
- Watch a Virtual Concert: Chris Martin started #TogetheratHome Hashtag where artists are going on IG Live and performing concerts, taking requests too!
- Schedule a FaceTime Date: I love to FaceTime my family and friends while I’m cooking or while Nick and I are eating dinner. It feels like they’re right there with you!
- Take up Meditation: Lots of people they say they ‘don’t have time’ for meditation – but now there is no excuse! Ten Percent Happier does a free 30 day trial, my favorite meditation app!
- Keep a daily gratitude journal: It’s so easy to focus on the negative, especially on days like these, but reframing your mindset first thing in the morning and writing down things that you’re grateful for are going to be a game changer.
Finally, remember that you can always lean on me during this difficult time. I’ll be offering FREE Health Coaching Consultations throughout all of this craziness. Whether you want to chat about mental health tips, healthy eating tips, creating a good work from home environment, etc. – I’m here! Email me to set it up!
Stay healthy loves & happy social distancing! xoxo
Alysia (Purely) Pope
