Taking a Corona-cation!

Hey There!

Who's familiar with the movie "What About Bob?"  It's an oldie but a goodie, and I dare say one of my all time favorites.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it...but don't cancel me if you hate it.  

Anyway, for those who haven't had the pleasure, allow me to give you a quick recap (but skip past the pictures if you don't want spoilers!)....

A brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin (played by a young Richard Dreyfuss) who has recently released a new book entitled "Baby Steps", takes on a new client named Bob Wiley (Played by Bill Murray)...

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Bob has a lot of "issues"...and he becomes panicked when Dr. Marvin takes off for a Summer vacation with "the fam" in New Hampshire.  So...with his pet goldfish around his neck, he hops on a bus and follows him...

Dr. Marvin becomes upset and tells Bob it is highly unprofessional for him to be there and tells him to go home and he will follow up with him in a few weeks.  But Bob becomes hysterical and insists that he is really bad off and begs him for help...

So Dr. Marvin tells Bob he is going to prescribe him a special treatment and he writes him a prescription that reads: "Take a vacation from your problems."  He tells Bob he is giving him permission to take a vacation.  Not a vacation from work, or anything else.  Just from his problems.

Which he does...while deciding to stay in New Hampshire for a while for a REAL vacation...

So, Bob pushes his way into Dr. Marvin's life and wins over his family who think he's great.  He ends up manipulating every situation he can to work his way into Dr. Marvin's family, which ends up driving Dr. Marvin into a psychotic breakdown...

So essentially, the patient drives the psychiatrist crazy which is a brilliant conundrum for a movie!

Seriously guys, you have GOT to watch it! 

ANYWAY...

You may be asking "What is the purpose of this post?"  Actually, I can't remember now...

JUST KIDDING!

The point is this...there are a lot of crazy things going on in the world right now.  2020 has not, in many ways, turned out how most of us expected.  And with the Corona-virus, mystery seeds being sent in the mail (what the?), killer bees, locusts, protests, and a handful of other things going on, it is super easy to get down.  If you weren't experiencing any kind of anxiety or depression before this all hit, you probably are now!  So what can we do?  

Here's where "What about Bob" comes in...I, who has no authority to prescribe anything, am going to suggest to you a "Vacation from your problems."  Let's call it a "Corona-cation."  

It is more important than ever to be paying attention to our mental health, and the mental health of our loved ones.  It is easy to get stuck under a dark cloud of depression and worry that ends up affecting the way we show up for life each day.  Feelings of hopelessness lead to negative thoughts.  Negative thoughts lead to negative behaviors.  And negative behaviors lead to....well, you get the picture!  Covid is not going away any time soon, so while we need to find ways to embrace the "new normal" we also need to be aware of  how we are coping.

So what does a Corona-cation look like?  Allow me to suggest 10 things to consider:

1) Turn off the media!  Seriously, just turn it all off for a few days (even a few hours) and let yourself regroup.  Notice the things that are still good in life. Turn off the news, stop checking all the drama happening on social media, and silence all the notifications on your phone.  Things may not be perfect, but remember I'm not about perfection anyway!  We can ALWAYS find something good, even in the midst of chaos.

2) Start each day listening to something positive...a podcast, a religious message, an upbeat playlist, etc.  Fill your day with positive messages of hope.

3) Find time each day to be still.  Amazing things happen in stillness.

4) Do something out of the ordinary.  Confession: I abandoned all the crazy and spent an afternoon painting rocks with two of my daughters the other day.  Totally out of the norm, but it ended up being really relaxing and fun.  It's amazing how therapeutic something like art can be.  

5) Give yourself permission to be happy.  This may seem like a weird one, but hear me out.  The constant exposure to negativity can cause us to feel like we shouldn't be happy, even if we feel like it.  Why?  Because people are sick and suffering and happiness can seems like its disrespectful or blasphemous sometimes.  But I'm here to tell you, feeling happy does not mean we don't care or that we are not concerned.  Happiness is a choice...a state of mind.  We always have a choice when it comes to our feelings.  You can choose to be happy and concerned all at the same time.  

6) Go to bed!  Ok, I am being a complete hypocrite on this one because I am totally a night owl, BUT I absolutely believe in it's importance. Sleep is so important to out mental health...more so than you probably realize.  We need restful and efficient sleep in order to feel well.  

7) Exercise.  I don't think I really need to back this one up.  It's pretty simple.  Exercise=endorphins (happy brain chemicals)=better mood.  Nuff said...

8) Laugh!  We don't laugh enough.  Last night our family watched "America's Funniest Home Movies" together and it felt so good to just laugh.  Or, watch "What about Bob."  😀

9) Serve others.  (This one's my fave).  There is something magical about helping others and looking outside of ourselves.  

10) Spend time outside.  The sun is our friend!  Just wear your sunscreen...

So there you have it!  10 ways to Corona-cation without even booking a flight.  And remember, you don't have to do it all at once: 

XOXOXO,

Becky