It seems that the spread of COVID-19 truly went from 0-100, real quick! I won’t dwell on the pandemic itself, but rather my experience, as well as my ‘sanity’ techniques. 

A little backstory on what stage of self-isolation I am at: 

I was quick to “self-quarantine”, not necessarily in the interest of myself, others, and rationality but rather because I am what people may call a ‘home-body’ and if there is a reason to not be outside, you surely won’t find me there. My mother often tells me I inherited that from her, and whilst it is probably not the healthiest lifestyle choice, years of indoor training seemed to have prepared me quite well for the epidemic. But I digress...

I have been at home, 95% of the time, for two weeks now. Limiting my ‘outside time’ to grocery runs, actual runs (let’s be real… fast paced walks) and terrace hangouts. I have realised that I quickly developed a routine/ coping mechanisms to get through quite a bizarre time. And while I don’t fear the virus itself, as I am doing my best by fully self-isolating, wash my hands/self regularly, and have internalised that the probability of contracting ‘it’ may be quite high, I still have had to cope with the uncertainty that lies ahead. 

So I thought I’d share the things that seem to be helping me keep it together. And if no one reads this (hi mom!), it will be something interesting to look at one day. 

Here it goes:

1. Yoga and/or meditation every morning

   Don’t get me wrong… I was never this person. But being forced to sit and lie for a lot of the day will get you ready for some movement. I don’t think I’ll ever be at the level where I go for a run to ‘clear my head’ or ‘relieve stress’.... Running seems to only fill my head with stress… dread.. regrets… all that good stuff. However, I have noticed yoga is quite relaxing and feels great. Plus, it's something fun to do that is quite low commitment. I have also found meditation extremely helpful - but I will dedicate an entire post to that at a later date. 

2. Go outside everyday (1-2 hours Min)

   I don’t always stick to this but I have been taking walks in parks, or along the river regularly. I’d just recommend going somewhere that has nice scenery and some open space. Or even stand on your terrace or in your garden. Being at home all day can feel quite claustrophobic. Additionally, it helps me feel like the world isn't crumbling around me. Life is still happening. 

3. Journaling 

   I have been journaling for a long time now, however, this has been especially helpful during this period. It doesn’t have to be anything too ceremonious, but just a place to jot down how you feel and your thoughts. I feel it gives me somewhat of a third person perspective on my own thoughts when I read back over it. I’m sure I will come back to this in another post sometime.

4. Being creative 

   This blog post may be giving it away, but I have been trying to do something creative everyday. Whether that is writing, doodling or making very bad amateur GarageBand music. I have enjoyed spending the extra hours I have gained from not having to commute to work, or get ready in the morning, doing things that make me feel like an artiste. I am planning to order some drawing material to do that as well - I’ll keep you posted (this is my first post- so there is no ‘you’ yet I guess haha).

5. Learn a new skill 

   I can recommend learning a new language, reading about a person you admire or topic of interest. I have been refreshing my Russian, as well as going through some Masterclasses (link below). I also purchased a book on the Japanese concept of ‘Wabi Sabi’ some time ago, which I am finally getting into. 

   Some relevant links:

   Language: https://www.duolingo.com/

   Skill: https://www.skillshare.com/

   Learning: https://www.masterclass.com/

   Books: ‘Wabi Sabi’ - Beth Kempton https://amzn.to/2UeiSil

6. Stay connected 

   I don’t mean to the media. I would advise against that actually (the most important information/ news will come to you anyway through friends and family). 

   I have been spending time connecting with people close to me. Regular facetimes, calls, texts. If you live with someone else, spend time speaking to them (even if socially distanced) and learning about them. Having people to stay close with has helped me a lot! Just to laugh and joke about life. It all often isn’t as hard when you can share the experience with others. And this is a truly global experience.

I think all in all, I am just trying to keep busy, as well as take it easy. Amongst all the tragedy, it is important to remain positive and adaptive. This is a time to focus on yourself, reestablish your goals and aspirations. A time to catch up on the things you have put on hold. I’m posting my first blog post… which is testament to what I am saying. Speak to your family and/or friends and treat yourself well.