5 Ways to Get Through Social Distancing

Well it’s been over two weeks since my last blog post… the world we are living in right now is bizarre and scary and uncertain.  I said to my husband two weeks ago that it feels like we’re living in a movie; this all seemed so surreal at first…. And now, it seems like the new normal – I know that everyday I’m going to watch our government leaders address the nation, I know that malls are closed and only businesses that are deemed to be essential remain open, I know that I’m washing my hands a lot more than before.  I tried to write this post a handful of times, but it never felt right.

I went grocery shopping over this past weekend because we were out of fresh produce.  Even grocery shopping is a different and weird experience with things like plexiglass shields installed at every cash to help protect the cashiers and tape on the ground to keep people six feet apart when waiting in line.  Once I’m home, and before I put anything away, I wipe all containers and cans down with a disinfecting wipe and produce gets a good soak in a bath of water and vinegar.

I don’t head out unless we are completely out of a necessity; quite frankly, I’m more than happy to stay at home.  I’ve created a list of home projects and I’ve been able to get through six of them so far.  My next project is trying to create a sourdough starter – wish me luck on that.  I recently downloaded TikTok, which was provided endless entertainment.

In all of this scariness, I’m SO moved by the videos of people singing off their balconies and playing instruments, or banging pots and pans together to cheer for the medical staff, cars parked along the street outside hospitals honking their horns (in fact, as I type this I’m getting goosebumps).  It’s wonderful to see that the human spirit is unbreakable even in times of such uncertainty.

Social distancing is a term we hear multiple times a day and it seems like it could be enforced for a few more months.  I am beyond lucky and thankful that I am able to fully work from home.  My workday hours remain the same, and I focus on the fact that I no longer have over an hour commute each way (always try to find the silver lining!).  But I knew that if I allowed myself, I’d end up on the couch right when I’m done work until close to midnight.  That is not what I wanted to happen, and the tips below helped me do that.

Here are 5 things I have found helpful during my first two weeks of social distancing:

1. Make and stick to a schedule – As I mentioned above, I am able to work 100% from home during this time and my work hours have stayed the same.  With no daily commute, I now have extra time outside work hours to fill so I created a daily schedule for me that I’ve been able to stick to these last two weeks.  I include my work hours, a daily walk, some light house keeping duties and of course my workouts.  I don’t plan out my entire night, only until dinner time (which is when I would normally get home from work)
2. Stay virtually connected with family and friends – I have had family FaceTime calls with my sisters and parents and also my girlfriends.  We’re setting up virtual game nights with friends and the group chat is always on fire.  Staying connected online can help us feel a little less isolated when we’re missing human contact.
3. Daily movement is key – Because I’m not going to the actual gym anymore and switched to home workouts, I have moved up my workout time from the morning to my lunch break.  I still follow my regular workouts (I use the FitBody App from Anna Victoria – I’ve been following her workouts for a while now).  The only difference is that I don’t have the exact weights I need, but I’m making do with what we have at home.  There’s also no shortage of yoga videos on YouTube.
4. Get some fresh air every day – This is so important!  Even if you just crack a window during the day, fresh air is a game changer.  There was a study done that found the air inside our homes is worse than the air outside.  I know that if I’m cooped up all day inside and staring at a computer screen, I usually have a headache by the early evening…. So I go for a 30 minute walk each day… even if it’s raining or a bit on the chilly side, it’s still so nice to have fresh air hitting my face (and yes, I make sure I’m at least 6 feet away from anyone I pass).
5. Get dressed most days – because we’re at home it’s easy to want to lounge around in sweats or PJs all day… trust me, I totally get it but it’s nice to still get dressed up (even if it’s just one day a week.  I’ve seen #fancyfriday all over Instagram and I love it).  To be honest, I’m not dressed until the afternoon because I workout during my lunch break so I’m in my workout gear until then, but that’s OK.  It’s nice to put on actual clothes even if it’s just for a few hours.

So, let me ask you: how are you doing?  Leave a comment below, let’s connect and cheer each other on.