...when you’re getting emails every 6 minutes about the global coronavirus scare.

1. COLOR. No matter who you are - an amateur, a professional designer, a lawyer, a lefty - coloring is for you. Did you know coloring has the ability to relax the fear center of your brain? Just like meditation. If you color at night it can help you sleep. It takes your focus off of your phone for a few minutes, and this is something you can do with your kids! If you only have 5 minutes, I encourage you to take a pen and a piece of junk mail and draw a page of small circles. The circular motion is a natural one and one page of doodling can turn into a 5 minute reset of peace.

2. DANCE. This morning in the usual daycare rush, my son asked me if we could have a 1 song dance party before we left for school. I reluctantly said fine…. And he proceeded to take all the pillows off the couch and start jumping up and down. I couldn’t help but laugh! How lucky is Liam to be 3, full of this much energy, and not care what time of day it is when he wants a dance party?! It was a joyful morning today. And the couch is ready for us after school!

3. HUGS AND KISSES. Yes. It’s so obvious. But it’s real! A 20 second hug can release enough oxytocin to reduce blood pressure and reduce stress! It’s true. What feels as good as hugs and kisses, whether its from a spouse or your baby? Nothing! We all need extra hugs and kisses today.

The fear circulating this past week is pretty terrifying and in my opinion getting out of control. Most importantly, I hope that everyone makes smart decisions to stay well and put your health first.  After that, try not to spin out in fear!  Color or dance instead. It'll keep you present, add a few minutes of joy, and give you a break from the media!

With love and joy, 

Sara