Ten Delicious Habits - in an age of Covid-19

Beginning week 4 of my shelter in place experience. For the most part it is going well. Work continues to roll along. We have more than enough food, Zoom is keeping me connected with my family. Daffodils are blooming in my garden. Yet there are days and moments in any given day where I’m feeling pretty low. I’m sure you experience that too.

When I talk to my coaching clients, what occurs to me is that they continue to put their needs lower on their priority list or worse don’t even consider their own needs. Kids have to be home schooled and entertained. Partners have needs that need to be considered. Elderly parents need to have food orders delivered or patiently taught how to work that Facetime. Nothing seems normal. It made me think about once of the simplest but best self-care exercise I did. I was invited to identify Ten Delicious Habits.

So, what are Ten Delicious Habits? I was first introduced to this idea years ago. It begins with the acknowledgment that in so much going on for us in our world today, we always put ourselves as a low priority on our daily lists. We’re so busy being the best employee, best boss, best partner, best parent, best child, best friend, best volunteer whatever….. that we lose track of bringing out the best of who we are for ourselves. The argument goes if we don’t take care of ourselves then we can’t be the “best” in all those other roles in our lives. Yet putting myself first can make me feel guilty and self-indulgent and self-involved. Now what?

Developing a list of ten new habits you can engage in everyday that make you smile and give you energy that are simple, inexpensive, require little time and are a little self-indulgent can sure bring that smile to your face. And when you are feeling a little better you can be your best self at a time when so many are depending on you.

Here are the rules for developing your list:

• Think about what does make you feel good.
•  It can’t be something you should do.
•  It has to be all about you.
•  It may feel like an indulgence.
•  Doing this would make you feel better.

Here is my list of my Ten Delicious Habits and why I picked them:

1.     Set my alarm to go off 10 minutes before I have to get up – when my feet hit the ground the whirl wind begins. I take 10 minutes to enjoy the peace and have a thankful heart as I begin the day.

2.     Use the water-pic – I won’t see a dentist for a while, but I love that fresh from the dentist feeling.

3.     Turn the computer off when my workday is done – when you work from home office hours are what you make them. If I don’t turn the computer off as I go to bed at a reasonable time then I get sucked back into work.

4.     Read for 15 minutes away from my desk – I read so much for work and spend so much time in front of my computer. It clears my mind and introduces new thinking to shift my space and mind. (Current read: 17 Carnations)

5.     Stretch 2 -3 times every day – get the blood flowing. Zoom is great but it means you can sit at your desk without let up. I do some calls by phone and walk around, for example I set my Fitbit to alarm and move when it tells me.

6.     Take 10 minutes to do nothing – this is the hardest one for me but if I can slow my mind down, I can come back to my day a lot more focused and calmer. There are plenty apps out there if you need some guidance

7.     Spend 15 minutes to sit down with my husband – no TV, no Covid-19 talk. We’ve both been “at work” or talked with friends and we do have weekends to plan for – even indoors.

8.     Change hand towels – I love getting fresh towels when I stay at a hotel. I now keep a stack close to hand.

9.     Clean bathroom sink – as the week progresses stuff accumulates on the sink and quickly it’s a complete mess. Waking up every morning to a clean sink without clutter feels good.

10. Wear perfume – I used to wear perfume every day but when it’s a t-shirt and sweats I stopped. A little bit of luxury and I love the way it smells.

When I first did this it took me two weeks to develop. I revisited it and updated for our Covid-19 time and I kept the same basic list after 8 years. So be patient. Work at it. It will pay off.

ABOUT THE PICTURE: This picture always makes me smile. I can’t help but smile at the memory of the sheer joy and exuberance of my son in this moment. When I thought of an image that went with this topic this picture from almost 20 years ago immediately came to mind. The definition of delicious.