11 Ways to Nourish Your Soul While Stuck at Home [and creative ways to nourish others]
We’re in some crazy times, aren’t we? I’ve been addicted to reading the news, fighting anxiety, and struggling to focus. It’s easy to grow more discouraged and weary, and I think we have to actively battle that by finding things that nourish our souls.
Here are a few ideas and resources I’ve collected this week. I hope they’re helpful, and I pray we can all remember that God is still good even in the chaos.
Listen to music.
JJ Heller’s playlist, “Peaceful Songs for Anxiety” has been on repeat in my house these days. Multiple artists who have cancelled concerts are also offering their music live on social media, performing concerts, facilitating hymn sings, and more. The Rabbit Room shared about a few of these artists in the “digital care package” they put together.
Share bread.
Not only do we ned food to eat, but it can be incredibly comforting to our souls. If you live in the Durham, North Carolina area, you can purchase a share of homemade bread from Kendall Vanderslice.
For everyone else, we can nourish others by donating loaves of bread during this time. Kendall has partnered with Families Moving Forward as well as a local church to get fresh bread in the hands of those struggling through the current pandemic. Click here to learn more and donate! Your gift supports her small business while serving others in need.
Pray.
Every Moment Holy has made several relevant prayers available for free download. Click here to get copies of the following prayers:
“A Liturgy For Those Flooded by Too Much Information”
“A Liturgy for a Sick Day”
“A Liturgy for Medical Providers”
“A Liturgy for Those Who Weep Without Knowing Why”
“A Liturgy for Husband and Wife at Start of Day”
“A Liturgy for Domestic Days”
I’ve also really enjoyed following @liturgiesforparents on Instagram. When I don’t know what to pray, reading prayers written by others has helped put words to the cries of my soul.
Prepare to lose.
This article, “Christians and the Coronavirus: Prepare to Lose” is a must-read for all Christians. It helps us think through our role as believers and what we’re willing to give up during this time. The author writes, “None of us can say which cost another should bear. What we can and must do, as Christians, is encourage each other to prepare ourselves to see well the trying choices that will come and be free enough from our ingrained consumer mentalities to recognize the sacrifices we might be called to make. That’s how we train ourselves for the practice of solidarity. A sacrifice is a loss, and often that’s what Christian victory looks like: losing.”
It may seem odd that an article about “losing” would be something I’d add to a post about nourishing our souls, but I promise, this is worthwhile food for thought.
Color, draw, paint…make art.
Mo Willems, award winning author and illustrator, is hosting “Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems.” Learn how to draw, let your kids doodle, and make art together.
Also, Catechesis Books has made a number of coloring pages free to download. These are a great way to teach your kids about things such as the fruit of the Spirit, Beatitudes, and more. Plus, coloring can relieve stress, so it’s probably a good idea for grownups to grab some crayons or markers and get creative, too.
I’ve also touched based with a retirement community in my area. If you’re looking for a way to encourage elderly friends with your art, contact me and I’ll send along info on how to get your drawings into the hands of our older neighbors. You can also partner with Follow the Good King to send your drawings to nursing homes.
Master the art of home-brewed coffee.
I love the ritual (and of course the taste) of brewing coffee. FreshGround Roasting is offering free shipping for any order over $10. Head over to their website and enter coupon code “Stay Home” when you check out. (Full disclosure: The owner of FreshGround is my brother, but I truly do love their coffee and recommend it to anyone and everyone!)
You may also want to perfect your coffee brewing while you’re stuck at home. Click here for a tutorial on how to brew using a Chemex!
Fill your mind with truth.
I love the We Wonder podcast. It’s contemplative Bible storytelling for children (and their grownups). We Wonder is currently in a series for Lent, and they’ve also put out “A Special Episode for Troubled Times.”
The Daily Grace Co. also has tons of Bible studies on sale right now. Even if our days are busy with kids, work, online schooling, or whatever else, the rest of our schedules are probably clear. What better time to dig into Scripture than now?
Connect with others.
This has been discussed a ton lately, but it bears repeating. Thanks to technology, there are so many ways we can connect with each other, even from a distance. Write letters, Facetime that friend you haven’t talked to lately, call your grandmother. I’ve already talked to several of my nieces, nephews, and siblings that I haven’t talked to for a while, and it’s been such a gift!
Cook.
When we don’t know what to do, sometimes chopping, mixing, and cooking can help nourish our minds and souls. Grab that dusty cookbook off your shelf, try out a new technique, or Google the ingredients left in your fridge and see what recipes appear in your search results.
Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking has also just launched a podcast to help you cook with ingredients left in your pantry.
Read stories.
Take a break from the news and dive into a book. Andrew Peterson will be reading book one of The Wingfeather Saga on Facebook Live every night at 7pm (central time). Storyline Online also “streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.”
I’m currently rereading through The Chronicles of Narnia, and it’s been so good for my soul during this time.
Watch The Chosen.
If you haven’t watched this series on the life of Jesus yet, you should start now. It brought me to tears multiple times, and I think I may even rewatch it soon. Sports, concerts, and so many events are cancelled, so you may as well curl up with a show that’s not only entertaining, but is also thought-provoking and soul-filling.
What about you? What are you doing during this time to nourish your soul? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!
