Here we are in the fourth month of 2020 and most of us are more than ready to call it quits, start over or completely skip over this entire year already.

I get it. Social media is full of negative subjects, memes and information, especially now with this world pandemic of Covid-19. So what now?

We’re practising social distancing at home, with little to no contact with outside persons. Our household members are all we see daily, our heads are down even more in a screen, the kids are home with schoolwork to do — it’s chaos.

It can easily be a time to dive into the chip bag, bury yourself in baked goods and drown in sugary drinks to help bring comfort. After all, it’s a new norm that will take getting used to for the unforeseen future.

But what if I told you that it could be your best time yet, that being home away from the in-person pressures of your job, creating a schedule that works for you and your kids, including outdoor activity, is just what you need?

What if I told you that you can just as easily dive into better health, eating cleaner and drinking more water?

The fact is that we have a choice. We can allow the temporary chaos (new norm) to overwhelm us, stress us out and completely derail our fitness and wellness journey OR we can devise a plan to come out of this ordeal our best selves yet.

Let go of the stress, soak in the sun and breathe. Create a schedule, fit in your workouts, fit in your favourite books, spend time cooking a meal with your family.

The fast pace that we’ve been living has caused us to lose sight of what life is all about. Slow down, soak it all in and realise that this may be just the blessing that you’ve needed all along.

I’m in no way suggesting that we ignore the work-from-home lifestyle. After all, the bills do need to be paid. However, it’s important to remember that we cannot pour from an empty cup and, for so long, that’s exactly what we’ve been trying to do.

So take this time to figure out what and who is important to you. Create the schedule that allows for work to be done, stress to be released, workouts to be completed and overall happiness to just be.

Practise social-distancing and be safe. I promise you, if you commit to it, you can come out of this ordeal fitter, healthier, happier and well rested.

That’s my plan anyway — won’t you take on the challenge with me?”