What has been saving my sanity?

It has been more than 2 years of just being at home. It's not usual, especially for me who is always out there, either for work or for leisure, I wouldn't be MARIANGGALA if I'm not out there. But the pandemic brought me here and the whole wide world as well, we stayed at the four corners of our home. And we all know that if there's something unusual that is happening, we, as normal people would be restless, struggle with the change, fight it, work around it and then eventually adapt to it (madaming tumbling at kembot ang proseso). It's a process we went through in those more than 2 years into the pandemic. And being confined in just one place all this time, drove me crazy although I have to admit that now, I fully embrace it and I even liked it now. So, what kept me sane (if my sanity is still intact actually =P?) all this time. Let me share as a way also to give thanks to these sanity keepers, they are valued, appreciated and I am forever grateful.

                                 frontline support team

We are not spared with COVID also, so, we also experience being isolated, quarantined, and being hospitalized. But, I am so grateful that even though we are not spared from COVID, God's protection and healing are also not spared from us, thank YOU, LORD! During the peak of lockdowns, we go together, me and Barok to buy food supplies for the whole family. We are the frontliners of the family. It's also good to celebrate occasions, just us, it's intimate and I kinda like that idea of birthdays, Christmas and New Year's celebration. We bonded a little bit more during this time. We felt that we are really there for each other even if we don't say it at least we do. 

                                 #HardinNiMaria

I am so thankful for this space God provided for us. This served as our space to breathe, to clear our minds, to play, to enjoy, a bit of heaven to forget about the pandemic. It also provided vegetables, flowers, herbs for the family.It felt good to be able to feel like I am a farmer or haciendera that also cultivate the land.

                                 Workouts

It's true that even in the midst of a bad situation, something good will come out. In my case, this is it! And I would like to thank the internet for the many free resources to do my workout. My first berks the Zumba video that Tita Lolit compiled and we use in our Zumba sessions in Hemmi. It's good to do Zumba with Dre, Shoneng, and my oldies, Mudra and Fudra. Then it evolves to low impact workouts thru Body Project, then KC suggested a more challenging workout and that's when I met Heather. I felt committed to doing workouts, so I followed HR's youtube channel and FB community and as they say, the rest is history hehehe. From time to time I also try yoga thru Adriene. And until now I am continuing with HR's workout. I have lost a little in scale, from 59 kg to 55 kg, I still need to lose that stubborn 5 kg but what's so amazing is I gained so much strength like I can now do heavy workouts such as mountain climbing, push-ups (tho my shoulder is injured at the moment) and planks is peanuts now =P

• Body Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0c-4nZjIWQ
• Heather Robertson's 12-week program: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2ov72VWpiOrZliY8_Upde97LVtSx8pCA
• Yoga with Adriene: https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene
• Heather Robertson's channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Heatherrobertsoncom

 

                                 Chats with F-R-I-E-N-D-S

Thank God for friends, friends who reached out even online. I'm just glad I have a lot of friends and they are all willing to spend some time to talk, to drink with, to just let you know they are there and let them know that you are also there for them. Thank God also for the technology, this is possible during this time when you cannot meet people face to face.

KDramas, movies, TV shows, old shows on YouTube, are things that you can escape to if you want to be out of this pandemic and they are there, so accessible for you. Youtube channels of Bianca, Gonzales, Toni Gonzaga, Alex Gonzaga, Rica Peralejo, Joe D' Mango, Living Big in a Tiny House, all the ABS-CBN channels. They all provided an escape from my little corners. 

To be honest, I enjoyed the pandemic, minus the people who died, the loss of jobs, the negative things it brought to us all, oh well it's NOT the pandemic but the staying at home that I really like that is caused by the pandemic.

And to top all these lists, I kind of get closer to God, It's all Him. I learned to trust, seek, ask, cry, be still with Him. And I am grateful that He would always be there, meeting me, making me see His goodness in all this. THANK YOU PAPA G!