5 Ways I am Surviving the COVID-19 Lockdown

Hi Bloggie, 

How far? I hope physical-/social distancing has been treating you well. During this new time of isolation as we all continue to adjust to life like we never could have imagined, I thought I’d share some things I’m doing to function and keep my fears at bay while staying at home. 

I’ve been home for over 2 months now and even a home buddy like myself could not have mentally prepared for this experience. I’m lucky enough that transitioning to work-from-home was not difficult and I barely missed a step in that transition but this experience also made me realize some work habits I need to get rid of. Without further ado, here are the things I’m doing constantly to keep body and soul together. 

1. Exercise and Self-care: Before the lockdown, I was fitting in workouts after work when I could. But with deadlines and projects, it was becoming difficult to work out at night especially since I didn’t want to disturb my neighbors with my jumping. But staying at home, I’ve found a new time to exercise that I keep to – lunch time. I’m able to fit in a quick round, shower and eat a light lunch all before going back to work. My concentration has increased and with the exercise high, I feel better about the day and I don’t have to add my fitness stress to all the stress I feel. I’ve also taken time to develop some self-care routines. My face and my hair are very grateful for the extra love 😊.

2. Work Breaks: I was telling you earlier that I noticed some habits I need to get rid of and this is one of them. The first two weeks of working from home, I wasn’t taking any breaks and I was working non-stop and even longer hours. This started during Lent and I was fasting so I didn’t need to go grab lunch. This added to my exhaustion and irritation but it also made me realize that I worked through most of my work lunches. I would typically eat at my desk and continue working because I was right there. This will have to stop when we’re able to go back to the office. I’m thinking that I’ll go for a quick walk during the first half of my break and then eat in the corner away from my computer. 

3. New Recipes: I have been adding new dishes to my kitchen repertoire but not at a fast pace. I was dabbling here and there and enjoying the process but also sticking to the things that I know and seeking out new things on restaurant menus. Well, since I can no longer meet up with friends at restaurants, I’ve taken to trying something new at least thrice a week and I must say, it’s been wonderful! Having time again to go back to recipes that caught my eye in the past and being able to implement them resurrects my geekiness 😃. I like cooking because I see it as performing an experiment – the conditions need to be right to get a good result.

4. Checking on Family and Friends: This one isn’t so new as I try to keep in touch with my peeps as much as I can. There’s of course, always room for improvement and I’m trying to do more while we’re all at home. Sometimes, the 10-minute talk boosts your mood more than you could ever imagine and if your relatives are older, it’s a nice way to give comfort in these scary times. 

5. Being Grateful and Learning: I’m trying to use this time to engage in activities/projects that I was interested in but couldn’t find the time due to waking up early to get ready for work and being exhausted by the time I got home. Instead, I use the extra time I have in the morning to work on these fun projects before clocking in for work. Each day, I also remind myself of something to be grateful for instead of wallowing in my fears and concerns. I also remember that there were pandemics way before us and humanity survived and I pray this one isn’t any different. 

My sincere gratitude goes out to those who have been putting others before them. The heroes and heroines who have worked tirelessly risking it all for us to be able to be at home – the IT folks, store clerks, healthcare providers, restaurant owners and employees, delivery workers, meat processing plant employees, and so many other hidden people who I hope we won’t forget about once we move past this. 

To keep with the gratitude theme, here’s “Dansaki” by Lara George.

Have a great week ahead!
Tonia