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You’re well-rested, sunkissed, happy, feeling inspired, healthy and have an ear to ear smile on your face 24/7… Bali life is making you feel incredibly GOOD. But now that the pandemic is making you stay home and you have no idea when you’ll be on a flight to the tropics again, how can you be in that happy sunshine state of mind, wherever you are, no matter the weather?
Here are 10 ways to create that Bali feeling at home!
#BALIathome challenge
PS. Will you join our #BALIathome challenge? Show us which way you create that Bali feeling at home by tagging us on Instagram @welikebali and #BALIathome! When you can’t go to Bali, bring Bali into your home!
“Bali is more than a place, it’s a feeling”
Yep, this dish is basically Bali memories on a plate! You can’t go more Bali vibes than baking banana pancakes in the morning. There isn’t a local warung in Bali where you can’t find a Balinese pancake with ‘pisang’.And if you’ve ever stayed in a homestay this is probably what you got for breakfast. KYND’s vegan version is one to drool over, check it out here.
But, by all means, it doesn’t have to be banana pancakes; just do sit down every morning for a nice breakfast. Do not rush into work, or turn on the TV or get into house duties before having a good, calm breakfast and coffee (ok, for parents the ‘calm’ might be not present haha). Take time to eat mindfully, fuel your body. Even make the place where you sit down for meals nice like a cute Bali café! Best way to start your day.
Think about that fresh hotel room, beautiful design villa or cozy home stay on your vacation in Bali. No clutter, clean and super well styled. Beds are being made up while you’re having breakfast and maybe there’s even a turn down service before bed time. Nothing feels better than a hotel-like living space. Marie Kondo your rooms, clean out your closet to donate to your local charity (and add that comfy bathrobe and fluffy slippers) and get rid of any mess or piece of furniture that you’re not using. Less is more!
We also heard about the idea of putting an extra coffee machine in your bedroom to create that ultimate hotel room feeling, haha. We love the smell of coffee, so yes! Ehm, and can we order in roomservice too? Thanks!
Bali is the island of pampering. While reading this you’re probably craving a Balinese massage. So, let’s create a little Bali retreat at home! It will relax you, and make you feel like you’ve been away even though you didn’t leave the house. Make a Balinese home spa, use some tropical smelling essential oils like coconut, monoi or frangipani and treat yourself to a flower bath. Or heck, if you’re isolated with your partner, ask for a massage! Top off with a signature Balinese cream bath (hairmask) to treat your hair and don’t forget your nails so they are looking fresh and pretty too.
Light means happiness. It's scientifically proven sunrays make you a happier person. Hence, an always good mood on vacation. Find a place in your home where you can soak up some vitamin D. Whether it’s in your garden, on the balcony or in a cozy nook near the window. Make this your sunshine sanctuary!
Eve: “Since I couldn’t fly out to Bali I decided to give our Amsterdam balcony a nice tropical make-over, so we can hangout outside in this beautiful Spring weather with Manua. Check out our Bali Balcony restyling photos here!”
And when temperatures rise, treat yourself with a good quarantanning session. Close your eyes and dream away to Bali’s shores, hear the sound of the ocean and get yourself some of that sunkissed Bali blissed feeling.
Remember, when you’re in Bali or on Summer vacation, how relaxed you usually feel? Besides the occasional travel stress; days spent by the sea, underneath the coconut trees and no to do lists are pure bliss. No rushing into the next thing all the time, but slowing down and staying in the present moment as much as possible. ‘Hati hati’: you’ve probably heard the Balinese say this to you many times. ‘Hati’ means heart in Indonesian. It kind of means ‘watch your heart’ and is used to tell you to ‘take it easy.’ Especially at these uncertain times we should take these Balinese words at heart. Where anxiety is on the lure and there might be tons of challenges to stress over (working from home or even losing your job, homeschooling your kids, missing your family and loved ones, not motivated to workout, another failed cooking attempt… what’s your challenge?). Breath in, breathe out. Be thankful for that roof over your head, food on your plate, smile and watch your heart.
If you’ve been to Bali you know the Balinese are famous for their kindness and smiles. They will always take time for a friendly chit chat or help you when needed. Take this at heart and let this inspire you to be kind for someone who needs it today. Call someone who might be alone for a while now and could need a kind conversation. Send a friend flowers or a personal card. Call your parents or someone you care about a lot to tell them you love them. Is there anyone in your neighbourhood or apartment building that you know could use some help with maybe groceries or bringing a home cooked meal? There’s so much that we can do even though we’re isolated!
Bali life is sweaty. We all know. But when you’re at home and your current activity is moving from couch to kitchen or just a short walk to the closest grocery store, there’s probably no sweat involved. But to decrease stress and anxiety we need to exercise! Create a daily plan for your workout (for instance always before or after breakfast) to turn it into a daily ritual and habit. Already only 15 minutes of daily exercise, is enough time to increase your heart rate and begin to release those endorphins (happy hormones!). We’re not suggesting you need to aim for that Bali beach body but do this to feel happy and healthy. Just turn on YouTube to find good workout videos or if it’s possible in your area, take your morning exercise, run or walk outside. Nothing fuels the body better than fresh air (but keep your distance!).
Nasi goreng, gado gado, soto, pisang goreng… are you drooling already and drifting off to Bali? Make your home smell like a Balinese warung by cooking your favorite Indonesian meals. No time or not a kitchen-hero? Order in from your favorite local Indonesian warung (usually most cities have these!) And for our Dutch friends and lovers of ‘spekkoek’: we regularly order them online here. So delicious and also nice to send as a gift to someone, haha.
Selamat makan!
Bali is famous for its abundance of healthy food options and Instagrammable restaurants. Eating out in Bali makes you so so so happy! Recreate that feeling at home by making simple things a little extra beautiful. Place a little flower with your morning coffee. Make a colorful smoothie bowl and top it off with shredded coconut and fresh fruit. Cook a healthy wholesome meal instead of ordering in fast food. Bake a yummy cake yourself instead of grabbing those snacks. By each day you'll feel more energized and healthy. Turn it into a habit and it's island happiness guaranteed!
One way of tapping into that good mood is listening to music. It’s our way to find joy and spark those Bali feel good vibes wherever we are! Pause that mind for a moment to shift into a sunnier mindset (or heck, even do a little dance in the living room why not, we do it all the time!). We collected all our favorite songs to create a beachy, island vibes Spotify playlist, that will bring you mentally straight under the Bali sun.
Click here for our BALI FEELGOOD PLAYLIST on Spotify!
BONUS tip!
Download our first ever FREEdesktop and iPhone wallpapers!And bring a little bit of Bali paradise into your days. We created 10 ‘BALI DREAMING’ wallpapers for you from our photography archive (our first out of more series to come!) of our favorite moments and places in Bali and Indo. Scroll down to find and save your little piece of island paradise below!
Let me be under the Palmtree WallpaperWe can tell you, these are the things that definitely work for us to recall that Bali feeling wherever we are! Let us know in the comments or through Instagram @welikebali what you do to create that #BALIathome feeling!
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