So you’re working from home. Trying to keep a routine. You’re barely remembering to drink enough water daily. Now you’re powering through work, and your stomach begins to growl. You know what that means. Time to Eat! Maybe you’re the lucky one that already has your go-to lunch spot to order from, or some “this will do” leftovers from yesterday. So you get your food together, eat, crisis adverted. Whew! Now you can continue your day without snapping at someone for another zoom meeting that could have been an email.
Some time passes, and it’s the evening , you’re prepping your dinner, maybe putting on your favorite Netflix TV show you just started watching. And boom ready for the committed relationship you have with your couch.
Although you may have had your 3 meals for the day, maybe some extra healthy smoothies, the question remains, did you actually FEED YOURSELF today? Do you actually feel full? I’m not referring to the physical feeling you get after eating a Chicken Cesar Salad. I’m talking about in your soul.
I’ve been living the Quarantine life since March 2020 like a lot of people in New York City. Working from home, trying to figure out what am I suppose to do, if the same place I work from, is the same place I rest in.
The first 2 months were fun, I thought “Yes! Lunch Time Naps! Why not!”. But it was about 5 months in , that I realized I became an Instant Gratifier. Doing things that only made me happy , or feel full for the moment while it was in my presence.
I read an article in Psychology Today that described the behavior of Instant Gratifiers. And I instantly felt attacked.
What Are Instant Gratifier Like?
Instant Gratifiers are not task-oriented.
They rarely plan ahead and routinely procrastinate. They put off the things they should do for the things that they really like doing.
They are impulsive shoppers. They want things now.
But let’s not be too hard on ourselves. We are living in the era where everything we want, we can order online and receive in less than 3 days, we can see anything with a google search and send messages instantly. But living in this trend while working from home can be risky. I found myself walking around unhappy, not feeling fulfilled. And I couldn’t figure out why. My shopping cart was full of things I just ordered, I had a great meal, found a new show to binge. But that wasn’t enough.
I finally came to a point that I realized I wasn’t investing enough in my inner self. The part of me that comes alive when I find something inspiring to do , something with purpose, something that no amount of food could ever fulfill.
I realized by not finding that spark within myself, I began drifting into a despondent routine. Doing things that only filled my immediate need like hunger, thirst, or boredom. I started feeling insecure, I started feeling unsure of making decisions. It played a bigger impact on my day to day life than I thought.
I knew it was time to bring the spark back! This spark will look different for every person.
But haven’t you noticed when you meet a person that is on a mission, that is pursuing their goal, they just glow different. They speak different. Their energy is almost infectious.
I had trouble at first figuring out where to start, because I thought “well I’m old enough to know what I like, so just do what you like”. But eventually I realized that kind of thinking would keep my options in a box. I wanted to branch out and discover myself, and the world.
So I started reading articles I never would normally click on . Articles about politics, video games, home improvement how -to’s. I tried it all, then I started putting that into action. And journaling my process.
After redecorating my home, playing some video games online, painting, I realized I fell more in love with just the idea of learning myself. You ever try something for the first time, and shock yourself when you’re actually good at it. You walk past the mirror with a little pep in your step, like “hey rockstar!”. . Thats the feeling !! That’s the spark.
Just because we are working from home, and quarantining indoors during the winter does not mean we can’t find something to excite us.
Here are a list of some hobbies I’ve taken up :
- Painting
- Trying new recipes from other cultures
- Home Design on a budget
- New Hair Care Techniques
- Creating Custom AR (Augmented Reality) Filters
- Playing darts
- Refurbishing furniture
- Writing (this blog!)
Another thing to remember when branching out into finding some cool new hobbies is to not spend too much time on the logistics of it.Try it out first, see how you like it, journal your thoughts, and let your spark drive you. Not only will this make you feel better, you notice how you treat others becomes that much easier.
When my cup is full, it’s a lot easier to interact with people that may need just a sip .
