In spirit of social distancing, I’m essentially on a self-mandated house arrest… which yeah, we UNDERSTAND, it’s not supposed to be social isolation…
Regardless of how you spin it, we all feel at least a little bit isolated. It’s A LOT OF TIME to spend with the same people DAY-IN & DAY-OUT, or worse, TIME alone 😦 especially if you’re beginning to feel irritated with the ways you consume your TIME. No struggle is the same, but to name a few:
- single mothers with kids at home while not hearing enough from school
- wage workers with limited access to friends and seeking unemployment relief
- college students who have had their semesters essentially cancelled, “so uh, did I… pass?”
- salaried employees deprived of legitimate work to do
- empty nesters whose living nightmare is being on house arrest with one another
- high school seniors who were relying on spring sports for scholarships
- a baby boomer business owner feeling lost and responsible for their employees but unsure if they’ll receive some of the SBA pandemic relief loan
- parents disconnected with their children because they work too much
The list goes on… I’m not saying I can’t relate nor can I fully capture the nightmare some of you may be living, but I can imagine the stress buildup as uncertainty continues to unfold. Know that you’re not alone.
Undeniably, COVID-19 has caused “unforeseen” (excluding the TED Talk by Bill Gates c.2015) disruptions to the life we knew and the shock is being felt around the world. Unfortunately, until we give it TIME to pass, there’s only so much you can do while social distancing yourself…
Working from home can only be SO productive..,
You *SHOULD* only consume SO much news..,
You can only be a #ScrollBot for SO long before you exhaust all content..,
Kids should only spend SO much time mindlessly glued to screens..,
You can only stay inside for SO long before you lose your sanity..,
SO, what can we do?
How could I use my TIME to benefit myself?
Well, I know I’m not the only one preaching self-development and self-reflection but I’m reiterating the self-starter mindset for those who need that extra nudge of encouragement. Take this Wrinkle in Time and use it to transform your trajectory.
Below, you’ll find a growing list of resources I’ve used, am using, or an acute awareness of their benefits.
My suggestion: scan the list, dig a little, and pick one or two to add into your daily routine. Maybe commit half of you workday to productivity, while the other half for being outdoors, family time, games, virtual socializing, etc…
“Put a helmet on and dive in head first.” Good Luck & Have Fun!
p.s. Quote credit goes to @minturnmayor who leads by example and a sincere role model of mine. Thanks!
Health & Wellness
Disclaimer: Being mindful of your health, both physically and mentally, has to be one of the most challenging habits to build. I would condense it into a three step process and none are easy. The first, create a plan ~schedule and goals~ The second being, accountability, it isn’t painless ~recruit a friend~ Finally and easily the hardest, have patience for yourself ~the fruits of your labor take longer than normal in the health and wealth department~.
Headspace App
Guided meditation great for beginners. Want less stress and more clarity? Try 10 minutes a day, it goes a long way! Being present and having patience to clear the mind is a personal struggle of mine, this app helps.
Nike Training Club App
Bodyweight-only Workouts, Yoga, Nutrition, and Fitness Guidance for all levels. *Premium content for free until further notice.*
Yoga With Adriene
I’ve met plenty of people who say they don’t care for this Yoga Youtuber, but each their own, especially when it comes to yoga. A couple years ago when I was first exploring yoga and too embarrassed to go to a class, with actual people. I found a number of her video’s ~some that I still revisit~ to be useful for learning and conveniently short for the newbie I am.
ClassPass App
Live stream classes from around the world or find your local studio, great way to support your local instructors! 100% of livestream class proceeds go to the studio until June 1st. Create a free account and type in your location!
Thug Kitchen
Having trouble purchasing meat? Pull an audible and revisit that produce section where fruits and veggies are thriving. Don’t know what to make? Thug Kitchen throws a unique twist on the art of learning to cook and provides low budget, vegetarian based meals that you and yours will honestly be impressed by.
p.s. If vulgarity bothers you, this book or podcast might not be for you. Their homepage states, “verbally abusing you into a healthier diet.” Wait a second, now I’m interested, revitalize your inner chef and get a laugh out of it along the way.
Goodreads
Find books that others have enjoyed, reading doesn’t always have to be leaned towards learning.. read for fun. Doesn’t have to be a book either, I enjoy the practicality and humor of Tim Urban’s Wait But Why blog, maybe you will to?
Self Development Resources
Disclaimer: While most of the content is free, I have included some resources that are not. Although I have do not have afiliated links to offer, you can usually find promotionals scattered about the internet, particularly amongst Youtubers.
Khan Academy
A mission-focused nonprofit to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Whether you’re a casual learner or you have kids at home who need well structured lessons, Khan Academy has hundreds of courses and a great foundation for at home learning.
During these trying times and school closures, Khan Academy is keeping kids on track with daily schedules for kids 2-18 and a guide for remote learning.
HubSpot Academy
I’ve personally enrolled in a few of their free courses that are focused on developing professional skills. From quick, practical courses to comprehensive certifications, learn everything you need to know about the most sought-after business skills. For example, free online training for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service professionals.
Grow With Google
Free training, tools, and resources to help small businesses, job seekers, educators, new developers and startups.
Your Primer
Bite sized lessons and guidance to better your business or startup. Digestible lessons to bring clarity and guidance for your business vision.
SkillShare
Watch, play, learn, make, and discover. Further develop an existing skill or pick up a new one. Plenty of first month free of premium promos exist, have seen first 2 months of premium free as well.
Investopedia
Do you not have a great understanding of financial markets, specifically the stock market? Would you like to see the current system evolve to something new? Would you like better develop your business acumen? Start here.
New Skills Academy
Extensive list of courses. However, most of which are not free but some intriguing content. Have personally purchased a course and so far, I’ve been pleased with the expense.
YouTube
You know the site… everything you could ever want to know is on YouTube and the worlds secrets could be hidden within their ads!
I could create an endless list of Youtuber accounts, but I won’t because I severely have to monitor my own YouTube use. BUT, for the sake of broadening your exposure, give these favorites of mine a browse through: Crash Course, Economics Explained, TED Ideas Worth Spreading.
Duolingo + Memrise
Combo these language learning apps. That way, when the pandemic fizzles out and financial stability returns, you can create a timeline and budget to visit a country of your choice. See the world, it’ll change you the better.
Yousician
Have an instrument laying around that hasn’t played a note in weeks.. in years? Might be a nice time to pick one up!
Adobe Photoshop
Although I only know of their 7-day free trial, give it a download and try out your artistic side for 7 days. It could be a useful but more importantly a fun skill to have. Get creative!
Podcasts
Disclaimer: There is no shortage of great content, it’s entirely possible to podcast too much. Don’t get caught just consuming, produce something too.
UpFirst by NPR
A 15 minute daily listen that covers 3 stories. Usually 2 domestic and 1 international.
Snacks Daily
Similar to UpFirst in that its a 15 minute daily listen of mine. Typically 3 stories that highlights companies, industries, or market related news.
TED Radio Hour
The host stitches together moments from the infamous TED talk series and interviews the speakers to deliver a clear and unified message. This podcast will assist you in challenging your own assumptions and open your eyes to new perspectives.
Freakonomics Radio
An economist approach to explore the hidden side of everything, particularly relevant topics of the time. I don’t listen to all the new content, but I’ve been a listener for years and not once have I been disappointed from an episode I choose. No wasted time here.
The Tim Ferriss Show
World renowned interviewer that organizes helpful advice throughout all of the content he produces. This guy is big-time and you will NEVER get through all of his content. You shouldn’t try to, he has a ton of worthy content but be picky and select the titles that seem applicable for you. Tim tells you how it is, be prepared.
How I Built This
Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.
This list will continue to grow but feel free to comment with your resources you enjoy. OR drop a Wrinkle in the suggestion box with a more formulated idea. Cheers!
The Wrinkle 
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