Hey my loves! We are in some really uneasy times with this Coronavirus pandemic. It feels like every day there’s more bad/sad news and in moments like this it can be really hard to stay uplifted. During this time I’ve been trying various things to stay as positive and stress free as possible and it REALLY WORKS! I wanted to share these tips with you and I hope they bring joy and peace to your day!
1 PRAYER
Prayer is so powerful, whatever your religious background. During this time I have been leaning on prayer to ease tension and stress. I like to start off the day with a quick prayer, thanking God for waking me and my family up that morning and also asking Him to protect us. After this prayer I immediately feel so light and ready to start the day in a positive way!
2 COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
At a time when it feels like things are in despair, it’s important to keep in mind all the things that you have been blessed with on a daily basis. Sure, you have to stay inside, but you have a roof over your head. You’ve got air in your lungs, food in your fridge, you and your family are healthy and safe. There are so many things to be thankful for and now is the time to continue to remind yourself.
3 YOGA / EXERCISE
I actually started my fitness journey a week before the quarantine and wow what a blessing it was! One day I woke up and I decided that I was ready to change what I didn’t like about myself. I realized I didn’t need a gym membership to start my journey and that I could start right from my living room. That was Wednesday, March 11 and I never looked back! I found that yoga really helps me start off the day relaxed and I can let go of stress and tension. This has really helped my anxiety, especially during this uncertain time. I LOVE Bobo Beautiful’s Yoga Youtube Channel, her workouts are never boring and she also films in beautiful locations all over the world. I also like doing Afro beats dance workouts by Afrifitness on Youtube. They are super intense and a lot of fun, you forget you are even working out! One of my major fitness goals is to tone up my stomach so that I can wear cute crop tops, this means ab workouts are a must! My fave one right now is by xxcocochanel– it doesn’t require any equipment and leaves my abs burning at the end, so I know its working!
Working out increases your endorphins which are neurochemicals that make you happy! Now is the best time to add a fun home workout to your day and get in a good mood at the same time.
4 DANCING AROUND THE HOUSE / PLAYING YOUR FAVE MUSIC
I’m always dancing around the house! Afterwards I immediately feel happy and energized. I dance while I’m washing the dishes, cooking, cleaning, anything. Try it! Play some dope music and dance like no one is watching. It is THE BEST! If you’re looking for some amazing music try my Afro Beats playlist called Afrobeats n Chill on spotify. I’ve been building this list for a while! It has my all time fave Afro Beats songs from Wizkid, Davido, Tekno, Burna Boy and more. Over 4 hours of music!
If you’re feeling stressed try listening to relaxing spa music. It works!! Type in “Spa Music Realxation” on spotify for my fave relaxing music.
5 WATCH TIK TOK
Now that we are on the topic of dance, I think you should know now if you don’t already- TikTok is EVERYTHING!! There are so many fun and light videos that people create of themselves dancing, cooking, comedy, basically anything fun! It’s hard to explain but honestly TikTok is so addicting and I think most of all it’s because at a time like now, we’re all looking for a fun escape. I recently created my first TikTok and it was the most fun thing I did that day! Follow me on there, my account name is joy_adaeze!
6 LOOK AT FUN MEMORIES
Pictures from your favorite trip, your kid’s baby pics, old pics of you and your boo- there’s nothing like a beautiful memory to put a smile on your face at a time like this.
7 WATCH A COMEDY SPECIAL
Laughter is honestly the best medicine! Laughter helps us get through the hardest times and we need it now more than ever. Check out the comedy section on Netflix. My recent favorite comedy special was by Ali Wong! She has 2 funny af comedy shows, Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife. I highly recommend them both!
8 GET DRESSED / PUT ON MAKEUP
I know a lot about this topic because I struggled with it for a while. I’ve been working from home since 2013 when I became a full time blogger and stylist. Then in 2014 I started Curl Sistas, my natural hair extension line. After I had my 2 sons, I became a stay at home. So let’s just say I have tons of experience on what it means to work from home and make it work for you without going insane. The first step is not to lose yourself and by that I mean: take a shower, get dressed, put on your fave perfume, do your makeup and your hair. The idea is to keep your life as normal as possible. When you look good, you feel good. I struggled with this for a while but I’m back on my game now! On the days I put the most effort into myself: clothes, makeup, hair- those are the days I feel the best about myself and I’m in the best mood. When I’m good, I can be the best I can be for my family. Trust me on this!!! Having a bad day? Girl, put on something cute and beat that face, then watch your whole day turn around.
9 TALK TO A FRIEND
Nothing’s better than catching up with a good friend and having some much deserved laughs! It feeds the soul and we all need that right now. Just make sure to keep the convo light and fun, no scary Coronavirus talk allowed!
10 STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVITY / NEGATIVE NEWS
Positive mindset is everything at a time like this. I find that the more news I hear, the more stressed and worried I become. So I try as much as possible to tune it out! I stay informed but I don’t let the news consume me. This is key.
11 TRY A NEW RECIPE
We’re all eating more at home since the quarantine. My fam used to have takeout once a week but honestly I haven’t felt 100% comfortable with even doing that, so there’s definitely been lot’s of cooking happening at the house. I’m using this time to get creative with my dishes to keep things fun. One of my 2020 goals was to cook 1 new recipe a month so this definitely came in handy now. Some new things I’ve made lately: quinoa jellof (Nigerian dish), sweet potato soup, fish stew and rice, roasted broccoli (a delicious and healthy af side dish). I’ve also started baking and I’m loving it! Right now my fave thing to bake are pumpkin muffins, omg omg they are soooooo good! Next, I want to try banana bread and oatmeal raisin cookies. Now’s the time to get creative!
12 WRITE IN A JOURNAL
This! OMG guys if I can only begin to explain the way journaling has helped me in my life! It is literally the most therapeutic thing ever. I’ve been journaling since I was 13, over 20 years now and it is a game changer. In my happiest moments and in my saddest moments, journaling has been there for me to share my every thought, to vent, to channel my feelings, to speak my mind with no filter. It’s like an on hand therapist. We all have so much on our minds right now. If you need to off load and clear your head, write in a journal. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be a plain notebook, a piece of paper, anything. Just make sure you have a good hiding spot so that you can feel secure in speaking your mind 100%.
It’s 5:33am right now and I just finished writing all this down. I had it on my heart to do a blog post about ways I’ve been staying positive during this uncertain time. I actually feel asleep at 11pm then woke up at 2am and decided to just go ahead and do this post because I know someone out there needs it. I hope these tips bring some positivity to your day. Share with your family and friends. We can all use some happiness in our day. Love y’all!
xo.joy.
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