Quarantine Survival Guide

Let’s get real- I am a mess.

Physically– My hair is brown, I am borderline albino, my gel refuses to come off, and my eyebrows are going haywire (I will not discuss my chin, that’s a whole other story).

Emotionally– I yoyo with feelings of empowerment, sadness, strength, concern, and the continuous question- how long will this last and how many people will be impacted?

Since the unknown is difficult, I wanted to share the items that have kept me sane  during this quarantine.

Structure

I need structure, and without it, I am lost and eating all of the Siete chips in my pantry. Which is why I created the below WFH rules.

Meals

No snacking?! Instead of perousing the cupboard, I make a pot of tea that stops me mid way from rummaging through the pantry. I usually have light meals throughout the day then prepare for a Michelin star carb themed meal by Chef Jordan.

Workspace

I created a work basket that I can shuffle around the house in case Jordan needs to bump me from the conference, living room.

Movement

As someone who has gone to workout classes every week for the past 7 years, the idea of working out at home, was a new and unappealing concept.

That is until I discovered the Peloton work outs (no, I do not have the bike).

These are the two workouts I have done back to back which I found to be difficult yet enjoyable.

I also went on a 5 mile run.

The world is truly coming to an end.

Anxiety &  Acceptance

The Headspace App has been super helpful for when I am spiraling before bed.

Writing down my thoughts in a journal, and starting the day with the five minute journal has also been helpful.

I created an album titled Happy Place which contains images from a place of tranquility- Cabo ( the Pacific side, not Medano Beach).

Accepting that not every day is great.

There are occasional days where I am overwhelmed with sadness that this is happening ( most recently after the 60 minutes episode on Sunday), and there are days that I feel that I am adjusting to this new life. I think it is important we own our feelings and acknowledge them.

Ambiance

Flowers

I usually pick up fresh flowers from the grocery store and place at my work station (dining room table).

I also place them by the sinks in the house since we spend so much time washing our hands.

Candles

I am about to break out the Christmas pine candles since I’ve gone through almost all of my candles in my home. Lit 8 hours/day, 7 days/week.

Music

In order to not hear my thoughts when I am WFH, I always have the Sonos playing.

Mornings: Peaceful Guitar

Afternoons: Rufus, Bieber

Evening: The Weeknd

Organization

I made a list of every closet, cupboard, and drawer that needs to be organized. It makes me feel like I am in control of my life.

 

Connection

Even though it feels so unnatural and bizarre, I highly recommend Zoom happy hours.

Final Thoughts?

“You never know how strong you are until you need to be.”

I find this quote very appropriate for these uncertain times.

As my idol, Brene Brown said, there’s no playbook for this pandemic.

We are figuring out things as we go, and we will get through it!

Hang in there!

Xo,

Giggles