As I sit here, writing and hearing in this cold, empty bathtub, hearing my thoughts echo from the smooth white porcelain cocoon that I have built, I am reminded of warm memories from my childhood. It was a place where my only job was to make mud holes, burn everything I could find with a magnifying glass, and take care of my butterfly that couldn't fly.
You see, I was the one who stole the gift of flight from my beautiful friend and was now his sworn protector. A few weeks earlier, I was outside and patrolling our vegetable garden for unwanted pests when I came across a blurry caterpillar.
He chewed on a particularly juicy tomato leaf and I was thrilled to have caught the killer in action. I quickly pushed him out of our vegetable garden, locked him in a large glass and provided sticks for sprinkling and leaves for eating in his glass cell
I checked him every day to make sure he wasn't causing any problems, and every day he went to the food I was going to give him. One day the caterpillar stops eating, hangs upside down on a branch that I have provided, and turns to a shiny doll. In its protective shell, the caterpillar radically transforms its body and finally appears as a butterfly.
But what does this radical transformation involve? How does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly and how long do I have to wait?
I waited a whole week that felt like life until I could see the slightest movement and it looked like it was difficult for him to break free. Ignorant and impatient, I cut a small hole in his makeshift grave and he appeared immediately.
I was no longer a threat to our family vegetable garden, but hurried it outside so that it could fly into the sunset. I put him on a flower so he could use it as a launch pad and nothing happened. What happened? What prevented my former inmate from taking off?
I hurried back into the house so my boss could help me solve this problem. I explained to my mother what had happened and she smiled softly at me as if to say, "It will be okay."
She explained that the hole I had cut that should help the butterfly was why the butterfly was grounded. Your fight develops your strengths and the butterfly was not allowed to fight and develop the strength in its wings.
Self-isolation may be the model for fuzzy caterpillars, but we're much more used to social interaction.
Things that we took for granted and considered to be constant in our lives, such as dining in restaurants, going to the gym, and sporting events, have become uncertain, and the indefinite amount of time we have to stay at home is increasing day by day more concerned with shaking the ambiguity of our situations.
One of the hardest things for us is to change our patterns because we live from structure and consistency. It doesn't matter how crazy this appearance of structure and consistency could actually be.
Nature reminds us that nothing is permanent and everything has to change, and denying this truth causes us to become victims of our own device.
Breaking our patterns can be the necessary driver that we need for our life to evolve and achieve a more comprehensive development of ourselves. Remember, while the caterpillar is sleeping in the cocoon, it will eventually need to be released.
Find your temporary normalcy
Consistently performing our normal daily routines may have been difficult at times, but implementing a brand new enforced routine is different. In order for a caterpillar to turn into a beautiful butterfly, it first digests itself after building its cocoon and almost literally becomes a caterpillar soup.
This process is not highly recommended by most doctors, so it may be better to listen to Aristotle when he said, “We are what we do repeatedly. Excellence is not an action, but a habit. "
A routine can be a fine-tuned mechanism to use a range of limited resources such as time, willpower, self-discipline, and optimism. A solid routine promotes a worn groove for the mental energies and regulates our constantly changing moods.
Staying at home is temporarily normal due to the current pandemic. Therefore, it is important to develop a healthy schedule and evaluate your energy level. Every part of your body, including your immune system, works better when protected from environmental influences and strengthened by strategies for a healthy life.
Diet, exercise, and stress relief are three of the most effective ways to accomplish this task. They enable you to wake up passionately and excited about the possibilities that the day offers.
Because our immune system is a complete system and not just a unit, the harmony and balance of this system is important. With so many moving parts of our immune system, regular nutrition offers our body the opportunity to defend itself against intruders from outside.
Scientists have long recognized that malnourished people are more susceptible to infectious diseases due to various micronutrient deficiencies. For example, a deficiency in zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid and vitamins A, B6, C and E has been shown to negatively affect the response of the immune system.
Because we are limited in how we can collect our food, we need to make sure that we eat some of the most nutritious foods out there. These include salmon, kale, garlic, potatoes, blueberries, egg yolk and dark chocolate.
If you're not used to consuming some of these products, Project 13 Gyms in San Francisco hosts digital dinner clubs where you can join a large group of people who learn from a professional chef how to prepare healthy and delicious meals .
Project 13 not only offers nutrition courses, co-owners / coaches Nate Chambers and Thomas Conway offer virtual courses that focus on building better people through fitness, thinking and community.
Make practice a constant
There are few things that are more transformative than movement. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight and protects against a variety of diseases.
When you exercise in the morning, it prepares you for the day ahead, increases your overall energy level, and helps you stay in optimal health. Numerous studies have shown that exercise is the key to fighting depression and anxiety. A Finnish study found that exercise even correlates with increased wealth.
Exercise, like a healthy diet, can contribute to generally good health and thus to a healthy immune system. By implementing a daily exercise routine, you will be prepared for maximum success throughout the day. There are many great options to choose from right now.
Budo Ryu, a Krav Maga and Muy Thai gym in San Luis Obispo, California, is a fun way to learn how to protect and get in shape in your virtual classroom. The owner and founder of Budo Ryu, Eric Sandahl, is one of the best Muy Thai and Krav trainers in the country. Its programs are tailored to get the best results for you.
Another great option is G-Fit, a kettlebell studio founded by trainer Gianna Bandoni who has a thorough understanding of the anatomical, physiological, biomechanical, biochemical and psychological aspects of human experience. Your workouts will educate, encourage and empower you to discover a balanced and healthy body.
Find a balanced schedule
Although you may feel that your home is your personal cocoon and your routine and expectations may not be nearly as perfect as you expected, it is fine.
Remember, like the caterpillar in its cocoon, you will be released at some point. See when you're most productive and least productive, and then plan your days according to your most productive times.
Your daily routine may be fairly fluid due to your current commitments, but this allows for more variety in your routine. Take advantage of the productive times and support small businesses like Project 13, Budo Ryu and G-Fit that had to close their doors to protect the community.
Not only will you learn a new skill, but you will also serve your community by allowing these companies to open their doors once this pandemic has subsided. We're stronger together than we are alone, so support a community where you can share, help, and support the people you care about.