Sleep Resources

Inspiring Dreams wants to inspire you to cope with the pandemic in healthy ways! 

Here’s what you can do to keep your mind and body occupied while staying safe from COVID-19:

• It’s all about perspective. 

Circulating around social media is the current mantra of “I am safe at home, I am not stuck at home”. We think that this is a great way to appreciate being healthy and having every opportunity to spend lots of time with our loved ones. As they say – Health is wealth. That said, helping out by contributing to your favorite charity or even leaving essential needs outside your homes such as food, generic medicine, diapers, Tampons, books, and magazines for your less-fortunate neighbors to take what they need is something we can do to help us cope with the times. Being kind, after all, never goes out of style, helps change our world view, and is one of the best forms of natural therapy.

• Talk to friends and loved ones over Skype or Zoom regularly.

Imagine if this pandemic happened in the ’80s or ’90s? Our landlines, beepers, fax machines, and dial-up internet connections may just all blow up! Kidding aside, the internet is an amazing piece of technology to have while we are living through this pandemic. Use it well. Call friends and family over your VOIP of choice, catch up, talk about your day, how you feel, or simply prop your phone or tablet by the dinner table while friends and family are also enjoying dinner on the other side of the screen in another part of the country (or somewhere else in the world). This will allow you to feel connected even while we’re at home. You can do this with other activities, as well e.g. virtual family games nights, virtual family movie nights, read stories aloud to each other, and lots more fun activities.

• Take advantage of free (or heavily discounted) online classes.

From Harvard to Udemy, lots of reputable academic institutions and online learning platforms are currently offering free classes covering just about anything. If you’d like to DIY, there are many YouTube tutorial videos that you can access for free,  as well. Pick up a hobby you left off years ago or take the time to upskill within any niche, from digital marketing to knitting – nothing is off the table. Now is a great time than ever to learn something new or re-learn an old, childhood skill.

• Exercise and find time to get closer to nature

A fit body means a fit mind, as well. While it can be a challenge to exercise while at home, it’s a must that you keep your body fit and active. If your city or state allows walks or runs, so much the better. Just make sure to take the necessary precautions and to maintain social distancing. If you live near a hiking trail, lake, beach, river, or other similar natural places, taking regular walks in these areas is recommended as nature therapy is beneficial for both adults and children. Yoga, Zumba, meditation, cycling, swimming and other non-contact exercises that allow you to either do at home or while being socially distanced are great ways to keep fit during this pandemic, as well.

• Keep and follow a schedule. 

Lots of parents now share stories of their kids staying up as late as 4:00 AM and waking up at noontime. Even us adults have trouble keeping time these days due to the humdrum and routine of just being within the 4 walls of our homes. However, we must do our best to try and keep a routine. This will help us maintain our mental and emotional well-being during these uncertain times. While there are apps available to help us do this, we still feel it’s best to keep track of our schedules in an old-school way: make a hand-written list and tack it up the wall or the fridge. 

• Stay informed but keep it at a minimum.

Keeping up with COVID-19 news can sometimes cause conflicting emotions. People who suffer from anxiety make take news and updates negatively as they tend to overthink the facts and figures. However, we cannot stress the importance of staying informed. We feel the best way to do this is to “turn off” certain news items that discuss only the negative outcomes of the pandemic and “turn on” social media pages of a few reputable news outlets that talk about all sides of this pandemic – the good and the bad. Bottom line: know your facts but keep it at a minimum. Just like any piece of negative news, this can cause stress and anxiety.

• Turn your passion into a small, online business – a lesson on flexibility.

Millions of Americans have lost jobs, businesses, and careers to this pandemic. Needless to say, the economy is one of the hardest-hit sectors due to COVID-19. While some are still coping and we recognize it’s not easy for every single one of us – but if you have a passion for cooking, baking, sewing or art – now is a great time more than ever to pursue these passions and use it to earn a bit of money. Some of us may have had different careers for several years and may find it difficult to switch to something else, but for the time being, returning back to our passion projects may just be the healing balm that we need for our souls.

• Be kind – to yourself and to others.

We feel that this is the most important piece of advice – to always be kind (or even kinder) to yourself during these times. The world did not see this coming and we were ill-prepared, to say the least. It’s good to be productive but if you have days where you just want to take time off, do it. And unlike other natural disasters or epidemics happening in certain places that we normally view from the news on the other side of our screens, this pandemic is affecting us all and we are all experiencing this together. So remember to be kind to others, as well as the rest of the world heals from this.

On a more serious note: