Hi beauties! Hope you’re hanging in there during this funky time. If you’re someone like me who likes to stay busy and have a routine, this quarantine has been pretty difficult. I was furloughed from Nordstrom, where I was working full-time in the downtown Seattle store while studying to get my real estate license. I went from working 40 hours a week and using my spare time to study, go to the gym, run errands, and hangout with friends and family, to being at home all day every day and it’s taken a toll on a me. There’s no way I’m alone in this!
After being home for about a month now, I’ve realized that there are a few small but transformative things that have helped me cultivate peace and happiness while in quarantine. These simple actions keep me sane and calm despite the stressful circumstances. I encourage you to implement them and see how they work for you!
Be intentional with your time
(This one even applies to those of you who are still working full-time – you can choose to be intentional with your free time. And if you are one of the angels working in the healthcare system, at a grocery store, or delivering packages, etc. – THANK YOU!)
When you’re in the house all day long like me, it can easily feel like the days (and weeks) bleed together. Without having to show up for work, classes, and appointments, life has little to no structure. It’s so easy to get down on yourself and question what you’re even doing with your waking hours.
You can prevent this feeling by being intentional with your time – create a schedule, make lists (even if they’re just for the grocery store or chores), and time-block. Time-blocking is when you set aside a certain amount of time for ONE task with no disruption. It’s great because it prevents multi-tasking and therefore helps with focus and productivity! (For example: I decided I was going to work on this blog post from 3-5pm without looking at my phone or other distractions). You can even apply this to things like social media! Actively choosing to spend one straight hour looking at Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. instead of checking them for a couple minutes here and there a zillion times throughout the day will leave you with more peace and prevent guilt.
I recently made a rough quarantine schedule for myself and have noticed a huge improvement in my mood and well-being. Here’s what it looks like:
7:30am – Wake up
8am – Enjoy my coffee + read, meditate, & journal
10am – Exercise! Long walks + at-home workouts
12-2pm – Work on real estate stuff
3-5pm – Work on my blog + social media profiles
5-10pm – Hang out with my roommates! Make dinner, watch shows or movies, do puzzles, etc.
10-11pm – Put away phone and read before bed
With the gaps in between I do chores, eat meals, shower, run essential errands, check social media, etc.
When making your schedule, don’t be too legalistic about it! Every day will vary slightly and that’s okay. Lazy days where you don’t get anything done are fine too. 🙂 But I promise you’ll feel rewarded when you stick to it since you’re keeping a commitment to yourself!
Take care of your body and mind
Practicing self-care helps us be the best version of ourselves. In turn we will be more capable of being there for others. The way I recommend approaching self-care while in quarantine is this: do at least two things a day that are good for your BODY, and two that are good for your MIND. Below are some examples for each. (The best part? A lot of these overlap, meaning they’re great for both your body AND mind!)
Body: exercise (walk, do workouts from Instagram, YouTube, or another app), eat healthy meals full of fruits & veggies, do a face mask, take a bath, drink at least 64 oz. of water, stretch.
Mind: meditate (use an app like Headspace or Calm if you need to), journal, call a friend, read, unplug from technology.
Prioritize connection
During a time when it is SO easy to feel isolated from civilization and other humans, creating community (even if it’s virtual) is so crucial for our well-being. Now is the perfect time to catch up with that friend or family member that you’ve been wanting to for awhile! An easy goal would be to call one person a day to check in and see how they are doing. I’ve been calling people on my walks as a way to kill two birds with one stone, and I always feel happier after connecting with someone. 🙂
Practice gratitude
Even though life feels hard, it’s sort of nice that we’ve been forced to slow down. I think it encourages us to appreciate the things we may have taken for granted before: sitting in restaurants, seeing friends, traveling, easy trips to the store, our jobs, and more.
You’ll be surprised at how big of an impact gratitude makes. With everything going on I have had a lot of moments where I’ve felt hopeless, overwhelmed, sad, and just frustrated. One of the only ways I can get myself out of this negative mindset is by thinking of what I’m thankful for. Writing it down helps, too! I’ve heard great things about guided gratitude journals like the Five Minute Journal, but if you’re like me and don’t want to spend the $25 on that right now, just jot your thoughts down on a sticky note. No matter what we can all practice gratitude in one way or another!
Have grace for yourself (and others)
Grace is a MUST right now! None of us have had to live through a pandemic before. We’re having to adapt our lifestyles and many of us are facing all sorts of issues related to physical and/or mental health, finances/employment, relationships, and more. There is no way that we can be perfect while trying to navigate these weird times. Remember that not every day has to be productive.
Have grace for yourself, for those you might be quarantined with, and even for strangers at the store! You never know what someone is going through. Everyone is a bit tense right now and this will all be much easier if we do our part in showing grace and kindness.
I hope you found this post encouraging! There are definitely ways we can enrich our lives and cultivate wellness despite what’s happening. We’re all in this together, and we’re going to be ok!
XO Sorelle