Staying Motivated During the Pandemic

Let's be real, trying to stay motivated in this crazy covid-19 timeline is tough. Somedays I can barely manage to stay sane and when my little guy doesn't nap (which seems to happen more often than not) it's hard. Very hard. With our regular programs, playdates and activities cancelled, it's just me and him all day everyday. It's awesome to get to spend time with him, but I think covid-19 has made him a stage five clinger. He needs to keep tabs on me at all times and that makes it harder to sneak away to my mat when my hubby gets home from work. By the time I actually get there, the motivation is usually gone and that sucks. So let's talk about strategies to stay motivated and meet back next week to see if they worked?

Alright so let's pretend we are in a dream world where my house is clean, my little guy slept for 2 hours and my hubby came home early. I am FREE!! Time for yoga right? Well... sometimes I just don't feel like it, even if all the stars aligned. How do I move past it?

Write about it

If I don't feel like working my body, I'll work my mind. Journaling about yoga is just as therapeutic as the asanas. Try writing about what you love about the practice, what you dislike. Perhaps jot down some future goals. Recount a time when you took a class with a friend. Write about why you love the colour of your mat! Sometimes my blogging will turn into a practice and sometimes it won't but in the end I always feel refreshed and accomplished.

Perfect a pose

I get it, sometimes an hour flow is just a HUGE time commitment, so why not pick a couple poses and expand on them instead. Learn the proper positions and cues, what muscles are used, how to modify it and how to advance it. Research what the benefits are, does it help with digestion? Headaches? You will be surprised how much time you can spend studying each pose.

Scroll Instagram

This may sound counterintuitive because instagram is known for being a time waster, but I get most of my inspiration from Instagram. My advice is to follow a few inspirational yogis and see what they are up to. Once I see what they are working on, I feel the urge to get on my mat right away. A lot of the instagram yogis are doing free streams of classes too, what a perfect way to feel inspired!

Roll it out

No I'm not talking about rolling up a doob, although that might help! I'm talking about using a foam roller. Rolling out your muscles is an extremely beneficial practice. It helps with muscle recovery, flexibility and is known to reduce inflammation. Spending 20 minutes today rolling out your muscles will make tomorrows practice even better. AND if all else fails...

Skip it

Sometimes I will skip it and thats the end of it. It is ok to take some time away from your mat to focus on something else in your life. Even if that is sitting on your couch, eating a snack and watching tv. If you really don't feel like it, just accept it a move on. Don't dwell on it or become obsessed with catching up the next day. The point of yoga is to "calm the monkey mind" and if you are feeling anxious because you skipped a couple days or weeks, it truly defeats the purpose. I find that when I am forgiving to myself, I will usually have a boost of motivation later on in the week.

Do you have any tips that keep you motivated? Share them with me!