Social Distancing Tips From an Expert
These are strange and worrying times. Covid-19 is scary and everyone being home is just kind of weird. It's a little like an extended week between Christmas and New Years but without the family visits. You may be struggling with all this downtime, climbing the walls and going a little shack wacky. Believe me, I understand. I've been honing my social distancing skills for almost five years now. So, today I'm going to share a few tips and lessons I've learned from the home trenches. Disclaimer: I don't have kids and am fully aware that kids at home changes things. For those with kids at home, I do not envy you - #thoughtsandprayers.
1. Try not to stress too much about all the things you are missing out on. There will be time for friends, family, outdoors, restaurants, choirs, bands, etc later. Plus, everyone else is missing out too.
2. Take the opportunity to do all those little household things you never get to do. Clean out and rearrange your fridge, pantry, closet, whatever. Wash all the dog blankets, vacuum the furniture. If you're like me and dealing with the first world problem of no cleaners for the foreseeable future, try to keep on top of things in their absence. Housecleaning may not be glamorous but it is a good time killer and it is rewarding. Also, there is always something to clean.
3. Read into the wee hours. If you don't have an early Zoom meeting or children, there is no need to stick to a regular sleeping routine. Rekindle your adolescent self and stay up and sleep in late. Why not?
4. Stay active. I have a mini physio studio in my basement, but you really don't need much equipment. Now is the time to clean the clothes off your treadmill or stationary bike and use them. Find a streaming yoga or pilates class. Do some sit-ups or push-ups. Climb up and down your stairs a few times (Ok, I don't do that but you probably can). Maybe find an old Sweating to the Oldies or Buns of Steel video - I'm sure they're on the internet somewhere...
5. Listen to music. No need to worry about co-workers not liking your choices - blast whatever you are in the mood for whenever you want. Maybe wear headphones if your household disagrees with your selections.
6. Play music, if that's your thing. Now's the time to dust off the guitar or pick up your old band instrument. I'm teaching myself clarinet. Kind of. To be honest, I picked it up yesterday for the first time in over a year... but it's a start! Not a music person? Apply the same logic to whatever hobby you've been wanting to try or neglecting.
7. Get comfy in the kitchen. Restaurants are mostly closed so there's no excuse not to cook. The kitchen is my happy zen place. I've always loved cooking but rarely had the time to really get into it. Well, now's the time! Start a sourdough fridge pet, try a complicated recipe, make something from scratch that you never thought of making (mayo, ketchup, English muffins...). If you can think of it, Google can find you a recipe or a hundred. Try finding new ways to use whatever is in your pantry. If the grocery store is out of your normal staples, try something new. Worried about getting fat from all the cooking and baking? See number 4 above. Also, keep posting pics of your culinary creations - it's inspiring!
8. Keep in touch with people near and far. Even the most introverted of us needs some social interaction.
9. Keep a journal. Writing is helpful to keep your mental health in check and to work through your thoughts and feelings. It will also be interesting to look back on this time once things calm down a little and we get back to some sort of normal.
10. Give the people you live with some space to be themselves. It's weird to think about needing alone time right now. But while we may be isolated from the world, we are in even closer contact with the people we live with. Be patient and kind to each other. Acknowledge that we are all different and have different ways of dealing with this. Let people work when they need to work (I'm not always good at this). Encourage everyone to bathe and change clothes once in awhile. Take turns picking what to watch on Netflix. Allow people to feel what they feel, even if it may seem unreasonable to you.
There it is. I know there are a million lists like this out there but I figure one more wont hurt. Stay home if you can, stay safe, and stay in touch.
Ciao for now!
1. Try not to stress too much about all the things you are missing out on. There will be time for friends, family, outdoors, restaurants, choirs, bands, etc later. Plus, everyone else is missing out too.
2. Take the opportunity to do all those little household things you never get to do. Clean out and rearrange your fridge, pantry, closet, whatever. Wash all the dog blankets, vacuum the furniture. If you're like me and dealing with the first world problem of no cleaners for the foreseeable future, try to keep on top of things in their absence. Housecleaning may not be glamorous but it is a good time killer and it is rewarding. Also, there is always something to clean.
3. Read into the wee hours. If you don't have an early Zoom meeting or children, there is no need to stick to a regular sleeping routine. Rekindle your adolescent self and stay up and sleep in late. Why not?
4. Stay active. I have a mini physio studio in my basement, but you really don't need much equipment. Now is the time to clean the clothes off your treadmill or stationary bike and use them. Find a streaming yoga or pilates class. Do some sit-ups or push-ups. Climb up and down your stairs a few times (Ok, I don't do that but you probably can). Maybe find an old Sweating to the Oldies or Buns of Steel video - I'm sure they're on the internet somewhere...
5. Listen to music. No need to worry about co-workers not liking your choices - blast whatever you are in the mood for whenever you want. Maybe wear headphones if your household disagrees with your selections.
6. Play music, if that's your thing. Now's the time to dust off the guitar or pick up your old band instrument. I'm teaching myself clarinet. Kind of. To be honest, I picked it up yesterday for the first time in over a year... but it's a start! Not a music person? Apply the same logic to whatever hobby you've been wanting to try or neglecting.
7. Get comfy in the kitchen. Restaurants are mostly closed so there's no excuse not to cook. The kitchen is my happy zen place. I've always loved cooking but rarely had the time to really get into it. Well, now's the time! Start a sourdough fridge pet, try a complicated recipe, make something from scratch that you never thought of making (mayo, ketchup, English muffins...). If you can think of it, Google can find you a recipe or a hundred. Try finding new ways to use whatever is in your pantry. If the grocery store is out of your normal staples, try something new. Worried about getting fat from all the cooking and baking? See number 4 above. Also, keep posting pics of your culinary creations - it's inspiring!
8. Keep in touch with people near and far. Even the most introverted of us needs some social interaction.
9. Keep a journal. Writing is helpful to keep your mental health in check and to work through your thoughts and feelings. It will also be interesting to look back on this time once things calm down a little and we get back to some sort of normal.
10. Give the people you live with some space to be themselves. It's weird to think about needing alone time right now. But while we may be isolated from the world, we are in even closer contact with the people we live with. Be patient and kind to each other. Acknowledge that we are all different and have different ways of dealing with this. Let people work when they need to work (I'm not always good at this). Encourage everyone to bathe and change clothes once in awhile. Take turns picking what to watch on Netflix. Allow people to feel what they feel, even if it may seem unreasonable to you.
There it is. I know there are a million lists like this out there but I figure one more wont hurt. Stay home if you can, stay safe, and stay in touch.
Ciao for now!
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