“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

I find this quote (taken from Robert Luis Stevenson) to be a very useful way of thinking during this unusual circumstance of social distancing. Farmers begin each season with seeds, they meticulously plan, plant, and nurture the seeds following a routine, not knowing what the harvest will bring. Every day they work with the conditions that they can’t predict nor control, yet they know that they need to tend to the seeds daily the best they can, that’s what they focus upon. I believe we can learn a lot from farmers in evaluating what skills, intentions, desires, or interests we have (our seeds), planning on how and with whom to use, share, or practice them (our planting), and developing a routine to nurture them daily the best we can and patiently wait for the end of social distancing, whatever that may look like (our harvest).

Now more than ever we have time and opportunity to focus on the details in our lives in a way we couldn’t before. For example, we now have the opportunity to connect more regularly (on-line) with those we wanted to connect with but didn’t. We can develop meaningful connections to extend and receive care and support. We have the opportunity to learn something new (music, language, film, photography, dance, art, sewing, carpentry, animal husbandry, making food the old fashion way, exercise or meditation/ relaxation, etc.) and, for some of us, an opportunity to connect with our children in a new way.

To develop our chosen skills or wishes, first we need to plan each day to invest our effort in whatever it is that we have chosen to focus upon. Establishing a routine to nurture our skills daily is important. Once we have the intent and plan, we can then be in the moment and focus on each task we include in our routine.

Young children, individuals who are active, easily distracted, depressed, resistant or anxious about change can especially benefit from a routine that includes whatever skills they wish to hone. The younger, more distracted, and/or emotionally challenged the person, the more the need for assistance with planning their routine. Using visual and/or auditory means such as calendars, reminders, agenda books, or pictures conveying the tasks or order of tasks in a day, week, and/or month can greatly assist with focus, commitment, and motivation.

However, it is important to remember that establishing a routine doesn’t mean doing the same thing, exactly the same way at the same time for the same amount of time. Rather, it means focusing on specific topic(s) but practicing and learning in different ways. For example, learning or teaching math doesn’t need to include written math problems every day at 10 a.m. for 15 minutes. Rather, we can choose to focus on math problems one day during cooking or carpentry and during games or even music on another day. Learning or teaching reading or writing, can include how-to subjects (reading or writing about how to make something such as bookshelves, food, fixing a leaking faucet, etc.) , writing a note to someone, reading or creating a poem for a loved one, writing a play, acting out a play or history subject by reading, using math to build something, using arts to learn geography, using experimental kits to learn science or many other creative activities to learn even difficult subjects.

Spending time relaxing, meditating, and affirming each other to plant seeds of patience, focus, and appreciation in our routine can also be achieved in a variety of ways and switched up daily. One can challenge oneself or another to sit calmly and imagine a peaceful scene for 5 minutes, focus on one’s calm breathing and sounds they hear for 10 seconds, or listen to classical music.One can challenge oneself or another to squat 10 times, keep a hula hoop going around a part of one’s body for 5 seconds, or go for a walk around the block.During a walk make efforts to notice the weather, the trees, the birds, people or anything else in new appreciative ways, be mindful of saying thank you or please in daily interactions, or notice positive qualities of those around you and let them know etc.

All these efforts are seeds - the skills and qualities that can be nurtured in a daily routine that will eventually result in a harvest, even if we don’t know what that harvest may look like. We just need to shift our thinking to our daily routine, look for opportunities to do new things in new ways, and then practice daily with patience and without excessive anticipation of the harvest. Focus on the moment and nurture the moment, harvest time will come in its own time and shape.