Covid-19 have you stuck at home instead of out adventuring? Same here…it took me a good month of the hysteria to realize I actually was not stuck at home, I was safe at home. Mindset matters in these trying times. It’s so easy to notice all the things I wish I was doing when relegated to my home when not at work. However, it is just as easy to think about the endless amount of beneficial activities I could be adding to my life during this time. I have been using this time while social distancing to appreciate how simple and easy it is to add in a (productive) new habit. Did anyone else see the stats on increases in alcohol sales since the start of shutdowns, yikes. Since I am not filling my time with anywhere near as much exploring, tasting, or even adventuring in the city I am in, I have plenty of free time to take advantage of to form some new amazing habits.

So, with my new-found time, I made it a goal to focus on trying to gain new knowledge and perspective from listening to different podcasts, watching numerous videos, and reading a variety of articles. With the extra time, I’ve been able to feed my ever-growing passion for health, nutrition, and holistic medicine. So finding new ways to enhance these elements of my life is always a top priority. Then, something peaked my interest (possibly while endlessly scrolling some sort of timeline), the rejuvenating 30 days of yoga challenge which I just ended last week.

The Yoga challenge appeared at such an opportune time, after I had watched the TED talk titled “Try Something New For 30 Days”. 👈🏽 click to watch! This immediately hooked me. As a travel nurse I’ve spent the past 4 years my life living in 13 week increments – the length of each travel nursing contract. Now the prospect of adding a new positive habit or eliminating a bad one in a third of a contract seems ever more doable. It’s funny because I always say to myself at the beginning of a contract, I can do anything for 13 weeks no matter the hospital, location, housing, or coworkers.

How I never implemented this mindset into my daily life until now is beyond me. But essentially the TED talk was emphasizing how doing anything for 30 days converts into a habit. If you are like me and consistently set goals for your life, this is such an easy way to transition into one of those goals you’ve been hoping to achieve. We just have to start somewhere and go about it one day at a time. Apparently, 30 days is just the right amount of time to form a new habit or kick a bad habit. I will say, doing the challenge alongside someone really held me accountable, no matter how tired or busy you were that day. Thanks Mom for doing the 30 days of yoga with me!

Reasons why a 30-day-challenge is exactly what you need:

  1. Form a new habit or drop an old one.
  2. Each day matters.
  3. Get a confidence boost.
  4. It’s a reminder that you can do anything.
  5. Small changes become powerful.

Many of us have some extra time on our hands due to COVID-19 by not commuting to the office, going out to dinner as often, or even not traveling like you used to. So I highly recommend thinking about something that you’ve always wanted to add to your life and try it out for the next 30 days. Instead of watching months fly by during this pandemic, try to make this time meaningful and let it leave you feeling accomplished in this second half of the year 2020.