How I've Been Dealing with My Feelings in Quarantine
Does anyone even know what day of quarantine it is at this point? The only reason I know is because I put it in a countdown app on my phone, and I’ve officially been in quarantine for 55 days… it’s hard to believe it’s been almost two full months since I came home from work one day and haven’t really left the house since (other than for groceries & prescription pick ups). I think it’s safe to say that most of us are struggling in one way or another – no one is really having an easy time with this, and we’re all longing to be able to go out for dinner & drinks with our friends again, or go shopping without worrying about getting sick; believe me, so am I.
Unfortunately, this is our new reality until we have a vaccine for this virus (here’s hoping it comes sooner than later), and until we’ve got the infection rate under control, staying inside is what we’re going to have to do. That being said – it’s not easy on anyones mental health, and I don’t think anyone is an exception to that; even people like me who are total introverts and love being at home. As human beings we all crave human interaction, and socialization, so it’s not surprising that some days are better than others while we’re stuck living through this. Today, I’d like to share with you guys how I’ve been dealing with this all. Some of you may find it helpful, some may not – I just wanted to share this so everyone knows that they’re not alone & we’re all going through this together.
Just Taking It One Day at a Time
When it comes down to it, the only way I can really handle this quarantine is by taking it one day at a time, and I’m sure most of you can relate. I don’t think I could cope if I didn’t just live in the present, and not think too much about the future, where I’d like to be or what I’d like to be doing. It comes down to some days are just going to be better than others. Some days I wake up, and I feel like I’m ready to take on the world – I get photos done, I cook, I organize, I work on blog posts (today is one of those days, haha) and I generally feel pretty okay. But sometimes I wake up in the morning and it takes everything to actually get me out of bed, and then I often find myself back in bed a couple of hours later for the rest of the day; and that is perfectly fine. Give yourself a break and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be productive every single day, because that’s just not reality to begin with, let alone during a global pandemic of an incredible contagious virus that we’re all stuck in our houses because of.
Making a To-Do List Without Deadlines
One thing I’ve found really helpful for myself is utilizing my reminders app as a to-do list, but without putting a date and/or time I’d like to be done with it (unless it needs to be done by a certain time, hahaha). I’ve even made myself an entirely dedicated list called “Quarantine Reminders”, and I just put in stuff that I’d like to do during this time - somethings have included: doing yoga, working on some calligraphy, write a blog post, email someone & drink some water. Whenever I’m feeling up to putting a dent in that list, not only does it help me not feel like I have to get something done, but there is something really therapeutic about checking something off a list, even when it’s something as simple as drinking some water.
Drinking Lots of Water & Taking My Vitamins
Speaking of water – this is definitely something that has suffered a lot while I’ve been in quarantine. I’m someone who likes to try and drink a minimum of 2L of water a day, but that has not been happening for the most part, and I not only physically am feeling the repercussions of it, but my skin also does not like that I’ve been slacking on it either. Aside from that, I’m trying to get back into drinking tons of water because it helps to keep you healthy, and we could all use a little boost in our immune system during this time. And of course, being stuck inside has made it that we are probably lacking some vitamin D, so I’ve been on top of taking a daily vitamin D supplement along side my vitamin B12 that I take because I’m vegetarian. I also like to treat myself to a vitamin C Halls from time-to-time until I can pick up a vitamin C supplement at the pharmacy the next time I go.
Giving Myself a Break
Yes, I do mean while I’m trying to get stuff done like when I’m organizing, cleaning, working on a blog or whatever, but I also been I’m giving myself a break. I’ve seen countless posts about “this is the time to be productive”, “get your side hustle going”, “it wasn’t just that you didn’t have the time, you lacked the drive” & even posts talking about how you should use this time to work out and get in shape. Well, I’m here to tell you something – not everyone thrives on getting fit, or creating a side hustle during a pandemic, and that is perfectly fine because it’s a god damn pandemic. No, you do not have to shame yourself for eating some ice cream, or not working out. I haven’t even really gone for a walk since this started because my mental health 100% comes first, and if I’m not feeling it, I don’t do it. So do yourself a favour, and give yourself a break.
Opening the Blinds & Windows
Never under estimate how much of a difference opening up your blinds & windows does for your mental health, and your soul in general. One of my favourite things to do, especially when it’s a beautiful sunny day, but it’s a little cold out, is to open the blinds. Like I mentioned before, we’re definitely all lacking some vitamin D during this time, so letting in the sun definitely helps with that, and it boosts your endorphins too! I also just love opening up the windows themselves to get some fresh air through my room. There’s nothing better to me than getting a little bit of a spring breeze flowing through the house.
Diffusing an Uplifting Scent
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of Saje, and I have a diffuser sitting on my desk in my room that I love to turn on. Well since quarantine started, I’ve loved having it on even more now than ever. Depending on my mood that day, I like to put in whatever I consider an uplifting scent. Some days that mean I put in Liquid Sunshine, which is very strong on the citrus scale, or sometimes it’s a combination of After the Rain & Mountain High because I’m craving getting a little bit more of a natural-outdoorsy smell. Not only does this boost my mood, but it also makes my room feel a lot cleaner, somehow?!
What are somethings that you’re doing to help you cope and get through this quarantine? I’ve definitely had some days that I feel extremely sad & depressed, but by utilizing things that I mentioned above, and just going with whatever I’m feeling that day, it helps me to remember that we will get through this at some point, and one day we’re going to look back at 2020 and be like “remember when we were all stuck inside for months?”. Have a lovely rest of your day everyone, and check back on Friday for a new post! Xo.
