Lending a Helping Hand

A few months ago, Calm Order received a call from MKL Design Studios – one of their clients was in the middle of moving into a new home when a member of their family had a health emergency.

The clients were in the middle of two homes, with some of their belongings already in their new home, but the majority of their items still in their current home. Moving became a low priority in the midst of visiting the hospital and caring for their loved one.

When Calm Order received the news, Karen and her team jumped at the chance of giving a helping hand. Within a couple of hours of getting the call, Calm Order had assembled a team of organizers and movers, all willing to donate their time for free to help out the family. They also booked a time to start the moving and unpacking process to take place in the next couple of days and got to work with the preparations needed. This included doing a quick survey of the current and new home to develop a plan of action. In this time, Calm Order was also able to connect with the client to get a full picture of their move, lifestyle, and new home to develop the best organization plan for unpacking in their new home.

On the day of the move, the team started working at 9:00 a.m. including the owner of MKL Design Studios, her daughters, and a team from Get A Move On, which donated all the boxes and packing materials the team used throughout the move. Over 18 people in total came to help – and as Karen described, it was a true sense of the community coming together to help a fellow neighbour in their time of need.

The first step was to clear out the larger items that didn’t require packing, like larger furniture and appliances. The moving team got started on loading those items up and taking them to the new house, while the organizing team started to pack boxes with smaller household items. The first rooms the team focused on were the kitchen and the bedrooms, as these homes require the most time to unpack and organize. They’re also the most used and needed to be ready for the homeowners to use at the end of the day.

From here, part of the organizing team moved on to the new house to focus on unpacking while the rest of the team continued to pack up the rest of the house and the garage. In a matter of hours, the small but determined team had everything in the former house packed, moved, and unpacked to an organized state in the new house. The client was able to spend the morning and afternoon visiting their family member at the hospital and return to a finished house at the end of the day.

For everyone involved in the project, it was a pleasure to be able to help a fellow community member out. Moving can be a stressful process at the best of times but is the last thing on anyone’s mind when an emergency occurs. Calm Order and the rest of the team were happy to be able to help this individual and their family get unpacked in a new and organized home!

Stay Connected With Family and Friends!

With social distancing measures in place, maintaining social connections is more important than ever. Just because people are not able to gather in person doesn’t mean we can’t spend time with family and friends!

Video calling, whether it’s Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, or another system, is a great way to do more than just talk with loved ones over the phone. In the absence of being able to gather for meals, movie nights, or other activities, video calling can work as a good substitute. Consider gathering family and friends to take part in a virtual hang out with one of the activities below:

Sharing a Meal

Even though you can’t actually share a meal together, you can still talk to each other while you do! Consider taking this one step further and cooking the same foods – you can even turn it into the competition and send everyone a brand new recipe to test out!

Movie Night

Extensions like Netflix Party can make a virtual movie night easier to manage by making sure everyone’s movies pause and play at the same time. While you’re watching, considering using group texts or staying on a video call during the movie to stay connected. If you’re having a hard time finding something new to watch, consider going back and watching old favourites or popular movie marathons.

Trivia Challenge

Using a physical trivia game or one of the many apps available, designate a trivia “host” and have the rest of your group compete to win the challenge! You can even split up into teams to see who can guess the most correct answers and keep score. If you’re hosting weekly challenges, consider letting each person pick a different theme each week.

Games and Sing-a-Longs

Some board games may be hard to complete virtually, but there are many that can still work with family and friends like these ones. If some people don’t have access to a physical version of the game, try designating someone as the organizer to make sure everyone knows the rules and has access to any information they need. This can go beyond board games as well – you can take part in virtual sing-a-longs, talent competitions, and more!

Take Care of Yourself

During this difficult time, it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves. With everything going on, it can be overwhelming just checking the news or going to get groceries. Taking time for yourself to stay connected and looking after your well-being is an essential activity that doesn’t have to take up too much of your time but can make all the difference.

Focus on Connection

With most people working from home and practicing social distancing, now is the best time to stay connected in whatever way you can. Whether it is setting up phone calls and video calls with friends and family, taking the time to connect with others is an important step to overcome isolation and improve mental well-being. Even if it’s sending a text to a co-worker or making a quick call to a neighbour, any form of connection is good.

Manage Your Stress

In a time like this, taking steps to manage your stress is key. Try to stick to a routine and follow a regular schedule. If you’re working from home or homeschooling kids, set working hours but be sure to still take regular breaks to exercise, have a snack and just relax. If the weather is nice, consider going for a quick walk or just sitting on your balcony to enjoy the sunshine.

Stay Positive

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you have days when you’re feeling down or unmotivated. Many people are feeling anxious and stressed about the pandemic in addition to feeling isolated and overwhelmed with changes to work, school, shopping and other activities. While it may seem like there is nothing you can do, don’t hesitate to reach out to family and friends, or supports and resources in the community. Taking a break and engaging in a different activity to change your focus (like meditating, completing a game or puzzle, or taking a walk outside) can also make a difference.