Hi everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. Here is my second self-reflection on what I’ve been doing for myself and others these past couple of weeks.
1.) What is something you did for your body?
Like before, I’ve been doing kettle-bell workouts, however I’ve noticed that I haven’t been doing it nearly as much lately, which I think is partly due to the workout being too repetitive for me to do every day or even every other day. I saw a few other people I know talking about Chloe Ting’s workout videos, and although I did have my doubts about her workout routines because I was worried that they might only be a fad and not actually very good, I’ve done two workout routines of hers so far and they’re actually quite good in my opinion. They really make me work up a sweat, and they make me feel a lot more refreshed for the rest of the day.
Another thing I’ve done for my body is stretching. When I’m sitting down at a desk all day, my body can start to feel quite tight sometimes and I find it really helps to do some stretches to loosen and relax my muscles. For example, one stretch I’ve been doing is crossing my ankle over my other thigh and leaning forward. I also do other stretches that I would normally do in my martial arts class that stretch my hamstrings and groin.
2.) What is something you did for your mind?
One thing that I have done for my mind is listening to an audio book. This is something completely new for me because I usually read books, not listen to them, but it’s been a really interesting experience for me. I didn’t think I would like it, but I find it actually very soothing to listen to the narrator’s voice, and I like to listen to it before I go to sleep some nights. It’s also good that I don’t have to look at my phone screen in order to read at night like I normally do.
Another thing I have done for my mind is keeping a small notebook. In here, I scribble down some quick notes during class sometimes if there’s something I don’t want to forget, and I also write down due dates and the class schedule for when we’re going to be meeting next. I’m fairly good at being able to remember these sorts of things without writing it down, but it just eases my mind to know that if my memory ever fails me or I’m unsure, I can always take a quick peek at my notebook, rather than always checking Microsoft Teams or my email, which takes more time and not every teacher gives regular updates.
3.) What is something you did for your happiness?
One thing I did for my happiness is playing video games, something I haven’t done in about two years. My brother recently took his Wii U back to his place and gave me his Xbox to borrow instead, and so I’ve started playing a video game on that console. However, if I become hooked, I know that it would NOT be good for my mental (or physical) health, so I only go on occasionally. This week, I’ve only played for about 1-2 hours total. I find it’s a good way to take my mind off schoolwork when that’s all I seem to think about most days since I don’t have any after school activities anymore.
Another thing I’ve been doing for my happiness is playing lots of piano. Before the outbreak in Canada happened, I was supposed to be going to perform at a “Master class” recital the first weekend of spring break, I was supposed to be doing a performance at the Inlet theatre in April, and I was supposed to be doing a final recital at the end of the school year, which would be my last ever performance where I take piano lessons before I move away for university. However, none of that can happen anymore, but I’ve still been practicing playing the piano every day. I’m not sure what exactly it is, but there’s something about playing the piano that brings me a lot of joy, and it’s great that I can play it just about whenever I feel like it now.
4.) What is something you did for someone else?
Something that I did for someone else was help a friend of mine with figuring out where they went wrong and why on their Pre-Calculus 12 quiz. I took Calculus last semester, meaning I haven’t done math (other than basic math in Physics) in several months, so this was a good way to both help them learn and improve for next time and to help me use my math skills so that I don’t become out of practice for the Fall.
Another thing that I (and my parents, grandparents, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousins) did for someone else was arrange a family video call to sing my brother (who lives on his own) happy birthday. He had no idea we were going to do that, especially since it was the day before his birthday (that was when he wasn’t working and everyone was available), so it was a very pleasant surprise for him.
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading!