Tag Archives: COVID

52+: Living Life in a 52Nudges State of Mind

How have you used 52Nudges? Have you done each nudge along with me? Picked and pursued your own? Read about my adventures purely for the entertainment value? Something my friend Amy said recently intrigued me, so I asked her to elaborate. Here’s what 52Nudges has inspired her to do.

When Amy Morrell was first furloughed from her job in mid-April, she spent some of her time helping her daughter, Rowan, adjust to virtual schooling. Otherwise, she wasn’t particularly motivated to be productive. “It was so easy to sit on the couch and play videos all day,” she said, echoing how many of us felt in those early days of COVID-19 quarantine. “It was enough for me to keep the home semi-clean.”

Then she got inspired by Nudges. Although Amy doesn’t really have a Bucket List or Nudges of her own, she took a fresh look at how she wanted to spend her relatively free time. “What the blog does is it inspires carpe diem: don’t set aside for tomorrow what you can do today, don’t wait to try something new,” she said.

Sheltering at home, then, seemed like the perfect opportunity to do things she hadn’t yet had time for, such as painting, organizing the crafts room, resuming knitting projects, cracking open kits she’d purchased online, baking and trying new foods, and learning basket weaving.

“We started with hydroponic gardening,” she said, “growing our own food, like herbs, squash, peppers, and zucchini.” With that project thriving, she turned to acting on fulfilling another dream: providing a home for a menagerie of beloved pets. Amy had pets growing up, and she and Rowan already had cats and a couple of birds. The COVID furlough provided Amy with the time and energy to expand and manage what they now call “Morrell Zoo”.

Today their zoo includes thirteen birds, butterflies, two guinea pigs (Carrot and Apple), three cats (Jenks, Nemo, and Winnie), and a foster dog (Kody). With each, Amy and Rowan have learned and experienced something, like the importance of bird diapers, how removing nests puts a stop to aggressive behavior, how baby finches hatch, and the importance of cuddling. “Sunny (a cockatiel) loves to snuggle,” Amy said.

Rowan with Sunny, the snuggle-loving cockatiel.

“It doesn’t have to be any big expense,” Amy said, giving a nod to 52Nudges rules. Finding a “cheap” hobby, though, wasn’t a priority. “We didn’t save a lot of money, but it’s good for our state of mind,” Amy said. “The birds just make me happy.”

Kody, the latest addition to the Morrell Zoo. They are fostering him for Florida Little Dog Rescue.

Amy has been back at work (from home) since early July, and Rowan is now attending 2nd grade virtually, from a safe and socially distanced space provided by her dance studio. As their zoo continues to thrive, both gals continue to pursue new interests and activities. “When I want something, I do it,” Amy said, when asked to sum up her efforts to make the most of this time. “I live my life in a 52Nudges state of mind.”

Nudged: Do something patriotic

Backstory: I laughed out loud just now as I drew this, because here in the United States, it’s Memorial Day Weekend. The last Monday in May is when we remember the men and women who have given their lives in military service to our country. Our flag has been flying outside our home since 7 am, and will continue to fly through tomorrow, so, technically I could call this nudge “Done!”

Not so fast. The whole point of 52Nudges is to go beyond the normal and comfortable and do something more. I just looked up the definition of patriotic: expressing devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country. I’ll have to think on this a bit.

What Happened: I woke up this morning (Monday–Memorial Day) knowing exactly what I wanted to do to complete this nudge.

In the early days of COVID sheltering-in-place, I learned about Notes for Support. Through this nonprofit, we can send encouraging messages to patients battling the virus and to the healthcare workers who are on the front lines. The nonprofit organization was created by a high school junior named Gina who knows first-hand about the power of receiving a physical note. (Read her story here.)

Note for Support

I’ve been sending notes here and there. It feels like a perfect way to complete this nudge, to show my support for Americans fighting our common enemy, if you will. So this week I am committing to sending two notes each day — one to a patient, one to a healthcare worker. I’m sharing this information today in case you’d like to join me in this.

To members of our military and their families, to healthcare workers and their families: Thank you for your service!

What Happened, Part 2: I started each day this week by writing my notes. Every note was different, as I imagined the person who might be receiving it and wished them well as I wrote. It was so easy, it took just a few minutes, and it set a positive tone for my days.

This morning I made a donation to Notes for Support’s GoFundMe account, to help cover printing and mailing costs. Now I can check this nudge off as successfully completed.

The Ah-Hahs: Throughout this pandemic crisis, I’ve been looking for ways I can help. This was one small one, and it felt good. I hope my notes have lifted the recipients’ spirits. I had my spirits lifted when I read the Gallery on Notes for Support’s website, and I encourage you to check it out. And if you haven’t already, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to send a note or two, too.

Meanwhile, some of us are looking forward to our cities’ reopenings in the coming weeks. Some of us are still practicing strict social distancing, and many of us are struggling. I pray you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

Nudging: Do something patriotic–update

Backstory: I laughed out loud just now as I drew this, because here in the United States, it’s Memorial Day Weekend. The last Monday in May is when we remember the men and women who have given their lives in military service to our country. Our flag has been flying outside our home since 7 am, and will continue to fly through tomorrow, so, technically I could call this nudge “Done!”

Not so fast. The whole point of 52Nudges is to go beyond the normal and comfortable and do something more. I just looked up the definition of patriotic: expressing devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country. I’ll have to think on this a bit.

What Happened: I woke up this morning (Monday–Memorial Day) knowing exactly what I wanted to do to complete this nudge.

In the early days of COVID sheltering-in-place, I learned about Notes for Support. Through this nonprofit, we can send encouraging messages to patients battling the virus and to the healthcare workers who are on the front lines. The nonprofit organization was created by a high school junior named Gina who knows first-hand about the power of receiving a physical note. (Read her story here.)

Note for Support

I’ve been sending notes here and there. It feels like a perfect way to complete this nudge, to show my support for Americans fighting our common enemy, if you will. So this week I am committing to sending two notes each day — one to a patient, one to a healthcare worker. I’m sharing this information today in case you’d like to join me in this.

To members of our military and their families, to healthcare workers and their families: Thank you for your service!