Stay calm, stay connected, stay active, stay motivated, stay secluded…OY!

Stay calm, stay connected, stay active, stay motivated, stay secluded…OY! STAY STRUCTURED. You can do all of these things, you can do none of these things, but one thing that you can do to help you get through the most difficult of times is to stay structured. Create a routine that works for you. Include silly things like eating, moving around, making phone calls, getting the mail, or cleaning.

EAT! Start your day as if you have to go do something. Get up, have food and coffee, get showered, get dressed. One of the things I am finding when speaking with people is that they are eating less during the pandemic, not more. When we are alone, we see cooking for one as a chore. Food is the basis of our existence. No food, no life. We need to structure meals so that we keep ourselves nourished and healthy. Don’t enjoy cooking for one? Cook in bulk. Make egg cups in a muffin tin, then freeze individually. In about a microwave minute you have a healthy breakfast. Make them all the same or different. Add cheeses, meats and veggies. Make them fun. One morning of cooking can lead to almost 2 weeks of breakfasts. What about breakfast burritos? Make yourself a batch of scrambled eggs with whatever you enjoy in them. Add interesting items such as black or red beans, onions, chives, peppers, cheese, salsa. Put about 1 cup of the egg mixture in a large flour burrito and wrap. Serve with thing like salsa, sour cream or guacamole. A great morning start. Make a pot of soup. Freeze in individual serving containers. Take one out for lunch or a snack whenever. Looking for a great, easy dinner? Go to yummly.com and search thousands of recipes. Try entering something like “three ingredient dinners” into the search bar. You will be amazed at the number of great recipes.

WALK. One of the best things you can do right now is move your body. Walking is an easy way to get some exercise, move around a bit, be more fit, and maybe even drop some of that stubborn belly fat. The mornings are still relatively cool and comfortable and getting out early get you on the right track for the day. Don’t want to go out? Walk around your house, better yet, put on some music and dance. Anything to get that blood going. Check out the items available on your cable network or online. There are free workouts, dance classes, yoga classes and lots more.

WORK. If you are not working a regular job from home, find a single chore to do each day. Clean one drawer, one room, organize your hobby, clean out a closet. Want to make that even more special? Take the items in relatively good shape and donate them, or call us and we will help you make arrangements to have the items sold and have the proceeds donated to Jewish Pavilion. Create a job in learning. Right now there are hundreds of videos and classes for free online, that can teach you a new skill (think guitar, piano, painting etc.). You can also learn about your favorite new topic. (Wine tasting, classic art, broadway). The world is out there waiting for us. Let’s use this time productively.

PHONE A FRIEND. If you are sitting home lonely, so are your friends and family. Older people especially thing they are disturbing younger people and often won’t reach out. You should reach out to them. Just a phone call here and there can make a world of difference to those social distancing alone.

KEEP YOUR MIND OCCUPIED. When was the last time you read a good book? Even if you can’t go to the library, you can use overdrive to read free library books on your computer, tablet or phone. Go to youtube. Choose a subject you enjoy and let the videos play. My Mom got involved in watching orchestral flash mobs the other day. She was fascinated for hours. Chose a theme, an artist, a skill, whatever you wish, and search for videos about it.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Still need something to do? Write a letter or card to a senior in an elder-care facility. We can deliver them for you. You can drop cards and letters to us or mail them. We will sanitize them and get them to those who need them the most. Can you sew? There is still a great need for masks. Need instructions? Check out our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/579109062683073/ and see how you can help. Can you make a video? Send us your video messages for seniors, a short song or reading, or even a Shabbat Service. We can have them streamed at some facilities.

For more info about what The Jewish Pavilion and Orlando Senior Help Desk are doing during this pandemic, check out our websites at www.jewishpavilion.org and www.orlandoseniorhelopdesk.org