Not sure of the original author but a big thank you to them.
Things you could do in the time of coronavirus:
1. Call your next door neighbor and say, If you need anything, I’m here, just call.
2. Put your feet on the earth and breathe one really deep breath.
3. Tip outrageously if you’re out and about. Say this is for the tips I know you’re missing right now.
4. Ask to speak to the owner of any local shop and say, How is it going? And then listen.
5. Call your hairdresser if you’re not coming in like usual. Ask how they are doing. Send your tip or the cost of your haircut via Venmo.
6. Smile at babies. They must be wondering about all the worried faces.
7. Call your local BLM chapter. Ask where you can bring supplies or cash for mutual aid efforts.
8. Research mutual aid. Get familiar with the term. Imagine living it.
9. Go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep.
10. Bathe your body like it’s a temple. Put on lotion like it’s a temple.
11. Call an old person.
12. Check on a friend with cancer. Listen as long as they’ll talk.
13. Remember this new careful about germs reality is a familiar daily nightmare for so many people.
14. Reach out to friends of Asian descent. Stigma and racism and lashing out is up for our friends from these communities. Say, I appreciate you and I’m here if you need anything.
15. Stay home. Meditate. Breathe deep deep deep. Exhale.
16. Organize the cabinets. Realize there’s more here than you realized.
17. Pick three people to check in with everyday. Say, How are you feeling? Then say how you’re feeling too.
18. Call your representative. Talk as long as you want. Tell whoever answers the phone that you think healthcare should be for everyone.
19. Read up on what it really means to be middle class. Consider a world where sharing made more sense than trying to be successful on your own.
20. Share. Whatever you have, if you have more than one of anything, tell yourself, I have this so I can share. Then give something away everyday.
21. Write a letter. We won’t always be here. Write to whoever you think of when you read that. Tell them how you feel in longhand then send it.
22. Follow disability justice activists. Start with Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. Learn about ableism.
23. Clean your house.
24. Say metta when you wash your hands. Look in the mirror and say it again for the whole world. “May we be well, happy and peaceful. May no harm come to us, may no problem come to us, may we always meet with success. May we also have patience, courage, understanding and determination to meet and overcome the inevitable difficulties, problems and failures in life.”
25. Send the money directly to any local service provider whose services you might skip due to a quarantine. Say, I know you’re taking a hit with this thing. Thank you for all that you do.
26. Notice the leaders who see their role as making sure the people have the resources they need to flourish. Notice who is protecting and deflecting responsibility. Throw your weight behind anyone willing to take on difficulty for the well-being of the collective. First responders, hospital workers, public health officials, we heart you.
27. Say you’re sorry. For anytime you were annoyed with someone with a chronic illness. For anytime you thought they were making up. Say I didn’t understand before, and I’m so so sorry it’s been like this for you for so long without my understanding or support.
28. Make room for joy. Life is going to slow down for a minute. There will be time for things you never have time for and a stillness that might feel new. Ask yourself what isn’t as necessary as you might have thought.
29. Go outside. Tell the earth hi. Ask if the earth has any requests of you. Introduce yourself if you’ve never done this before.
30. Burn your worries in a pyrex pan. Write them on little strips of paper. Write them and say I know I’m not the only one. I know so many feel this too.
31. Start the thing you always wanted to start. Do it like the world is on fire. Do it like your pants are on fire. Do it like it will never happen or you’ll never get another chance. Do it because you want to that bad. Do it for the babies looking at all the worried faces. Do it for the trees. Do it for the you who already knows what’s really important. For the you that knows what we have to do.
[My own that I added:]
32. Read a book. Or if you’ve always wanted to write a book, write it!
33. Stay connected to friends and family through Zoom calls (it’s free).
34. Garden
35. Take an online class
Here are some free Ivy League online courses: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/?fbclid=IwAR1kOvnaQFuaMsZHx3FA-sbK2zyuHOxvnJdwbcJJKEl-EJb4tAL1gSdlqy4)
36. Use Focusmate https://www.focusmate.com/
37. Start/join Facebook watch parties
38. Read the book “A Year to Live: How to Live this Year as If it Were Your Last” by Stephen Levine. It has some great tips on how to make the most of each day.
More tips from the CDC website — Things you can do to support yourself
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
- Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
