If the situation was different, we would all be excited to spend time at home. We are all in this together, and we’ll make it through it with creativity and grace. We’ll be offering a few ideas to break up the boredom and routine while you’re spending more time at home for the next few weeks. Let’s get started! 

For some, the stress of being at home with one another is different than having lots of deadlines to meet, places to go, and people to see. So, one of the activities that is recommended to ease the mind and to activate the body is yoga. By concentrating on your breath and deliberate movement, you’ll find the practice relaxing and challenging. Yoga instructors will tell you that it is YOUR practice, and you should move through it at your own pace. If a down dog is a posture that is too much for you to hold, a good substitution is child’s pose. You don’t need much in the way of equipment – a mat, a towel (like a beach towel that will be used for support), and a block, which will help you hold some balancing poses. 

To get you started, we’re sharing a link to our neighbors at Neighborhood Yoga in Boone. They have a few online classes that offer a good beginning foundation. Try the Slow Flow and Yin with Natalie Dale first. Don’t worry if you wobble or have to modify your poses, just take it at your own pace. If you find yourself enjoying it, there are live streaming classes you can register for. 

You may also need to use up some extra energy – particularly if you have kids (or even if you don’t). Music is more than just something to listen to to fill the time. It is increasingly being used to help our brains function better, to reduce stress, and even to boost our immune system. So, what do you say? Let’s have a dance party? Chad, who owns Root Down Hair Studio in Banner Elk, does a little DJ-ing from time to time, and his collection of music is AWESOME! We dare you not to bust a move to this groovin’ set.  

Last one for this go ‘round... Make your evening meal a little extra special. Plan a menu like you might see at what the kids would call a “fancy restaurant.”  It doesn’t have to be extravagant, but just a little out of the ordinary. Your menu could include a first course of a salad, followed by a steak or hamburger with baked potato and broccoli, and a fun dessert. Pull out some candles and cloth napkins or move the meal out onto the porch for a different setting. Put on a little smooth jazz or classical dinner music. We love to eat, and a "meal event” makes it something to look forward to.  

Do you have a Boredom Buster you’d like to share? We might use it in a future blog. Just send us an e-mail from this LINK. We’re going to have to work together to keep it together. We’d love to hear from you.