Ah…where to even start? Quarantine has set in (I’ve lost track of how many weeks I’ve been home now…maybe 5 or 6?)
Like everyone else, I am at home until further notice. I decided to head back to Cleveland, Ohio way back in early March to quarantine with my family. Because I am self-employed, I am already used to working from home and have been doing it for years. However, I know that this is not the case for many others.
I’ve had good days and bad days throughout quarantine. It is a scary time and uncertain time, and there’s no denying that. However, I’ve tried to focus on what I *can* control throughout this, which is the present moment and my reaction.
I’m trying to utilize this extra stay-at-home time in the best way possible for me. In my experimentation, I’ve found a few things that have helped remain positive and keep my anxiety at bay. So, I thought I’d share with you all in hopes of helping someone out there.
1. Consuming uplifting and positive content
Right now, more than ever, I think it’s important to be *super* selective with what content you and I are consuming on a daily basis. Of course, I do watch a bit of the news daily to stay informed on what’s going on and receive important updates. However, I don’t allow myself to sit in front of the news for a long time because it can really affect my anxiety. I don’t want to be someone who just passively takes in content and information from a bunch of different sources at all times without a filter.
Instead, I’ve been focusing on being especially choosy with whose content I am consuming and seeking out. During the day while I’m working, I either listen to an uplifting/informative podcast or a smooth jazz playlist. Some of my favorite podcast shows lately have been Friend of a Friend by Liv Perez, MOOD with Lauren Elizabeth, and The Skinny Confidential Him & Her by Lauryn Evarts and Michael Bosstick. I also have a post from 2018 that shares some of my all-time favorite podcast shows that would be a relevant read right now if you are looking for more of my recommendations.
Besides listening to podcasts, I’ve also been reading a lot more as it is a healthy and productive way for me to escape. In the last month, I read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and Diana: Death of a Goddess by David Cohen.
2. Cooking delicious food
With a lot more time on my hands, there have been no excuses for me to not try out new recipes that I’ve had pinned on my Pinterest board.
Besides, I’ve always enjoyed cooking and find it seriously helps me unwind after the end of a long day. Cooking while I’m back at home with my family is the best right now because I can cook a meal for someone else, too, rather than just for myself. To me, it’s so much more enjoyable to share a meal with someone you care about, and being home right now allows me to do just that.
I’ve been cooking some of my favorite “tried and true” recipes, but as I said, I’ve also had the time to experiment a bit. I’ve been really into using the air fryer to cook any and everything. (This is the one both my mom and I have!) And yes, just like everyone else, I’ve made banana bread during quarantine. I even made banana bread overnight oats…and they were *so* good.
3. Taking care of my body
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know that I am a huge fan of indoor cycling. Back in Chicago, I go to SoulCycle a couple of times a week and it’s normally the highlight. I love high-intensity workouts and have come to love them as they are a huge way for me to clear my head, release stress and keep my mood up.
Obviously, we are all staying at home right now, so SoulCycle isn’t an option right now. However, I knew early on in quarantine that I needed to find a way to keep moving, even while at home. Like I said, working out helps me in so many different ways and besides the mental benefits, I do prioritize having a healthy and active lifestyle. (I’ve been an athlete my whole life – I grew up playing soccer, lacrosse, and running track/cross country.)
Luckily, at my family’s home in Ohio, we have a mini workout room. It has a few pieces of basic equipment – hand weights, resistance bands, and a treadmill. During quarantine, I’ve gotten into a routine of working out at home and enjoy the alone time and escape it gives me. Of course, I’m still missing SoulCycle, but this will do for now! On the treadmill, I’ve been doing one of two workouts:
On the treadmill, I either 1) walk on the highest incline for 30 minutes at 3.0 speed or 2) alternate walking/running for 30 minutes at a medium incline, variating between speed 3.0 and 6.0.
After I do my treadmill workout for the day, I usually do a quick YouTube video for abs, arms, or glutes. I’ll link a few of the videos I’ve been using below so you can try them out.
- Chloe Ting Ab Workout (10 min)
- Bodyfit by Amy Arm Workout (5 min)
- Kaleigh Varney Glutes Workout (15 min)
4. Tackling tasks I’ve been putting off
Back in early March, I made a list for myself of things I wanted to accomplish while in quarantine. Not because I feel the pressure to be productive right now, but because I knew I’d had a lot of extra time on my hands and the rare opportunity to cross off some daunting “to-do’s” from my list.
This could look different for everyone – but here are some examples of the tasks I’ve done while in quarantine:
- Cleaned out my closet and donated clothes I don’t wear anymore
- Gave my blog a much-needed facelift (the website you are currently on!)
- Got seriously organized with my business’ bookkeeping system
- Started my business’ Instagram profile and developed weekly content for it
These are all things I’ve always “meant to do” but always come up with excuses not to do them. However, finally completing them has given me a lot of satisfaction.
5. Planning for the future
In such an uncertain time, it might sound odd for me to want to plan for the future. However, it’s really helped me to remain positive and keep striving. Of course, I haven’t been making any concrete plans for the future, but I have been trying to get really honest with myself and clear about what I want for my future. I even created a virtual vision board and have since made it my laptop and iPhone wallpaper (let me know if you want a full post on this or not.)
I learned the concept of reverse engineering your life from Lauryn Evarts, the blogger + podcaster I mentioned earlier in this post. She is constantly speaking about creating a strategic future and it’s helped me reach a lot of my own goals — both in my personal and business life. She has a free printable on her website all about goal setting, which I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to design their future.
What have you been doing during quarantine? Anything I didn’t mention?
+ click here to read about my ideal night time routine
