This April brings a certain nostalgia for the OG quarantine we experienced last April (the good parts anyway). Tik Tok was helping everyone escape reality, people were learning to bake their own bread, Chloe Ting took over people’s living room workouts (ok maybe no one misses those lol), Outer Banks came out on Netflix, and the world seemed to stop for a second to catch its breath. We put together a short list of a few mindful practices we developed during those months of quarantine that we believe should be implemented into daily life moving forward.

ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS

If quarantine taught us anything, it’s to enjoy the small things in life. Whether it’s nice weather, a certain song, a smile on a loved one’s face, or a cup of coffee. Make an effort to be more present. Stop every now and then to become aware of your surroundings, you’ll notice a lot.

PRACTICE DAILY GRATITUDE

Gratitude is one of the major lessons we’ve learned from our months in the Q. Practicing gratitude every day can transform life. It grounds us as individuals and can be a very rewarding experience. Try to express three things you are grateful for every day. It can be done in the morning or at night. Appreciating what you have will attract more happiness into both the present and future.

SAY I LOVE YOU MORE OFTEN

This habit is so important. The pandemic has unfortunately shown us how short life can be. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you whenever you get the chance. Enjoying their presence is a special gift.

MEDITATION & JOURNALING

We hopped on the Headspace trend, an app for guided meditations. Headspace offers meditations lasting as short as three minutes. We tried a couple and those three minutes significantly helped us release stress and recenter ourselves. Meditation is a great way to clear the mind and set intentions for the day.

Journaling was another habit we picked up in quarantine. The Five Minute Journal, which has become very popular, is a perfect way to begin journaling. This guided journal includes short sections for gratitude, prioritizing the day, and a daily affirmation in the morning. The nighttime also has sections for reflection each day. Specifically, “what made today great” and “what could have made the day better.” The journal also features a chapter at the beginning that teaches the owner how to properly write in it. We definitely recommend it.

YOGA

No, we’re not talking about becoming a full-on yogi, but we are suggesting trying a yoga sculpt class. We became obsessed with virtual yoga sculpt classes over quarantine—it was a fun way to challenge ourselves and stay in shape. For anyone who doesn’t know what a yoga sculpt class is, it’s a workout that mixes yoga with both cardio and strength training. Ali Freie on YouTube has great yoga sculpts that can be done anywhere.

Yoga in general is a great practice. Gentle yoga in the morning or towards the end of the day is amazing for the body. We always feel so good after a yoga class. The best part about yoga is that it can be done with no teacher (if you know a couple of moves) or practiced for free by searching for classes on YouTube.

REST IS IMPORTANT

Lastly, we wanted to touch upon the infamous “rest day” concept. This past year has been a trip through hell and back. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that it is OK to rest. Society has ingrained a certain need within us to be “on” all the time. We are constantly overworking ourselves by cramming as many things as we can into our schedules. Do not feel guilty for giving yourself a break every now and then. Rest has such a negative connotation to it, no wonder why people feel guilty about taking time off. Let’s change that.

We wanted to end with a special thank you to all the nurses, doctors, scientists, and essential workers who did not have any time off during the pandemic. Thank you for working incredibly hard for the entire world. We appreciate all of you so much. We also want to acknowledge all those lost during the pandemic and their loved ones.

Mindful Practices Developed During Quarantine to Implement into Daily Life