Although spring has arrived, many of us in North America (and elsewhere around the world) are staying at home and practicing social distancing. How are you spending your time? It's a challenging time for everyone in so many aspects, but we must remember to take care of ourselves (physically and emotionally) in order to care for those around us.

Let's remember to nourish well - eat healthy foods (as much as possible), cook at home (try new recipes and be creative!), drink plenty of water (a cup of warm tea can be calming), take vitamins to boost immunity, use aromatherapy to relax, and have sufficient sleep. Try to exercise at home, in your yard, or at a park that's not crowded. Or go for a walk around the block, go for a bike ride. Practice yoga, lift free weights or sing and dance in your living room. Practice mindfulness (meditation, prayer), write your feelings in a journal or blog, help others remotely. Despite the situation, be grateful for what you have - I'm grateful for my relatives, friends and neighbours who are calling to check in on me, to bring me bulk dried goods from Costco (thank you!).

To boost immunity, I made a comfort meal consisting of butternut and carrot soup (full of beta-carotene, added diced onion and garlic, spiced with turmeric, black peppercorns, cayenne pepper and finished with paprika) and a potato casserole with green beans and mushroom, topped with a slice of smoked salmon sprinkled with dill. Definitely brought warmth and comfort to the body and soul! (Please excuse the quality of the photo...I was hungry and just grabbed a quick photo with my phone before devouring the delicious foods.)

Healthy MealButternut-carrot soup and potato casserole - a healthy meal that brings comfort to the body and soul.

Be sure to stay connected with others. Thank goodness for technology - call your family members, friends, neighbours, have video chats via FaceTime or Skype, use Netflix Party to watch shows or movies and discuss with your friends. Take to social media - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, so many options. Also spend some time offline - anxiety levels rise when we keep hearing or reading about the latest number of cases. Tackle the to-do list, declutter your home. Read paper versions of books or magazines (if you still have them), revisit photo albums (for those of us that did print out photos), work on a puzzle, spend time on your hobbies or take on a new hobby, learn a foreign language. (I'm keeping up with my Japanese studies while the classes are moved to an online conferencing system.) Do more of what you enjoy! 

To align my teatime with what I enjoy most, I filled my plate with Japanese snacks (various senbei, or rice crackers) and my matcha bowl with a turmeric matcha drink (it's a drink mix I bought, not my creation). After this oishii afternoon break, I resumed working from home, filled with a sense of zen. 

Japanese TeatimeJapanese snacks and matcha to enjoy for an afternoon teatime break.
 

For photographers, what better time than now to catch up on sorting through and processing photos in your catalog? That's what I'll be doing in the next while. Keep taking and sharing photos! Photography is a great way to relieve stress. One morning I got up early and was rewarded with this beautiful sunrise - may it bring hope to everyone that this situation will be resolved soon.

Hopeful SunriseBeautiful sunrise colours painted across the sky - the best reward for getting up early!
 

Please share what you're doing to cope with social distancing. I'll be posting updates from my corner of the world. 

Until then, keep social distancing and stay healthy!