Hi Everyone! Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this time, washing hands lots and practicing social distancing.
1.) What is something you did for your body?
This week, one thing I did for my body was that I did some yoga and really just stretched and tried to calm myself down after the long days. Online school can be stressful sometimes, especially since it is totally new and nobody is 100% sure how to use it yet. I did yoga after getting finished with a day of online classes to A) move my body out of the same seating position all day and B) really just stretch and unwind after a long day of working. It felt really nice to be able to stretch all my muscles after staying in the same position all day. Another thing that I did for my body was that I had another dance class, which is where I was able to really work with cardio and afterwards I was EXHAUSTED, but it felt really good to be able to get some more challenging exercises in… even though I am a bit sore now, hahaha. I was able to learn some new dance moves, like leg hold turns and other cool tricks. It felt really good (yet, painful) this week to be able to really exercise a lot this week and get my body moving rather than just sitting down all day and losing motivation to do anything. Exercising helped me to stay motivated and driven to get things done throughout the day and not slip into laziness.
2.) What is something you did for your mind?
Something I have done for my mind this week was writing some short stories. I wrote little poems and stories to just get my mind off of the work from school and just keep my creative mind working. I really enjoy writing, especially when it is on my own time. It was nice to be able to just stay creative without any borders or criteria to follow. Another thing I did for my mind was I continued drawing. After having started last week I realized it was really calming and I continued to do it and I really enjoyed it. It was nice to be able to just really focus on different ways of staying creative and doing things that not only make me happy, but also are good for my mind.
3.) What is something you did for your happiness?
This week was my friend’s birthday, and it is really sad that I couldn’t see her in person, but we all went online and we did a Netflix party and a video chat to sing her happy birthday (which had a lot of lag, hahaha) and just wish her a happy birthday. It was nice for us all to get online and just talk and see each other, even if it wasn’t in person. As I said in my last reflection, I am so thankful that we have access to the internet to communicate with friends and family. Another thing that I did for my happiness was actually working on my garden (my action project). It was really calming and I get a lot of excitement from tending to the plants, because each time I water them I always get excited for them to grow. Staying outside this week (before it started raining) was really nice so I could get some fresh air in between classes and enjoy the sunshine.
4.) What is something you did for someone else?
Something that I did for someone else this week was that I started making the meals for my family about 3 times a week. My parents do things for me a lot and I wanted to be able to do something nice for them while we are all stuck at home. It is nice because not only am I helping them out, but I am also learning new recipes and practicing my cooking skills. Another thing that I have done for someone else is that I have done some gardening in our front yard and mowed our lawn for my mom, so that she doesn’t have to. It is also nice to be able to get outside and work in the yard because I get fresh air and sunshine, and I am helping my mom out at the same time. It has been nice this week because when I am helping others out I am not only happy because I am helping, but also because I am learning new things and enjoying new activities.
Overall I am very happy with how I have been spending my time at home, I am keeping healthy while still working with school and I hope you are all doing the same. Lets work to flatten the curve together!
Jessica O’Brien-Visbisky
Hello Jessica, another great self reflection!
I’m glad to see you’re keeping yourself busy and finding new activities to try. I too find online school much more stressful and I can definitely relate to the aches of sitting and doing homework most of the day! I found it interesting that you are still doing your dance, do you do this online through a video call or are you still able to go to your studio? Also, I’m glad you’re doing some writing! It’s not something I do often on my own time but I’m definitely considering it. I would also love to see your drawing when it’s finished : )
Thanks again for sharing your self reflection and I look forward to seeing your growing garden in your next action post.
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for the feedback! For dance we video chat through zoom. It was challenging at first to understand how to use, but as time goes on I am adjusting more to it.
-Jessica O’Brien-Visbisky