Hello, my beautiful friends. I hope you and your loved ones are well. I wanted to write a little bit about my own experience of staying at home, whilst we all adjust to this new way of (temporarily) living.
For some people, this is a big reason to feel stressed and anxious which of course is more than understandable. For others, it is a time to re-evaluate priorities, rearrange plans and projects but most of all a time that has stopped us all in our tracks.
I have had different stages during the whole situation and have crossed from a rainbow of emotions. Not only for being exposed to the news here in the UK but also for having our friends and family in different parts of the world. Because of this, the commotion extends trough to make sure all of them are safe and doing well.
For me, my priority was to follow the Government instructions right away. Babe and I were able to start working from home since the very first week.
I have been a freelance designer for years and have the experience of working from home in my previous company. Here are some of the things that have worked for me to focus on and not allow myself to get loose in this staying at home state.
Start your day with a grateful heart. I know this might sound stupid for some people, but this is something I have practised for years. When you first wake up in the morning and think about all the things you are grateful for than the things you don’t have or the situations that are not going too well (aka a global pandemic), take a second place because you are valuing more the things you thought of first. You may or may not be a believer. I love reading Stephanies Sterjovsky’s weekly devotionals
Have a schedule– the same way we do for our normal routines when we get prepared for work and set our alarms to have enough time to get ready and catch the train. Just because you are at home all day, it doesn’t mean you cannot be organised. Establish your lunchtime and exercise time, and of course your working hours. Use a timer if you struggle with this and say for the next 45 min I will focus solely on this task. Get it done and move on!
Do your Makeup I know that it might sound frivolous but I found every time I do my makeup and dry my hair, I just feel like a new woman. Oh and don’t forget some perfume!
Learn something new, you know all of those recipes you keep saving as a screenshot in your phone, and the videos that appear in your Facebook feed? you think: “that looks good” now is the time to give them a try! Buy some ingredients and get to work! My husband is focusing on practising his Spanish and I am going back to my old piano lessons.
Treat yourself, even if it is a gin and tonic, watching a show/movie you love, a bubble bath, listening to your favourite album, lighting your favourite candle, or a yummy iced coffee. This is a hard time and we all need to remember to be kind, particularly to ourselves.
Organization use this time wisely. We were fortunate as we have just moved into our rental flat when the quarantine started, so we still had many boxes. I say fortunately because all the cleaning and organization kept our minds busy for days, organising the pantry, the closest, enable room for furniture, all of which gave us plenty to do.
Avoid the News this is something my mum recommended to us. It is very easy to fall into the sadness of what is happening and losing sight of the bigger picture. Avoiding the news allows us to control what we choose to see. Of course, we keep informed by the social media channels but we don’t watch the news at all.
Make plans What a great time to stop thinking about the present and think a little bit about the future. Yes, you probably had to cancel your Summer holiday. We just changed our plane tickets to Valencia this Summer. This doesn’t mean you won’t have your holiday next year. What about going to a place you haven’t seen before? We are all saving a little bit of money, not going out to eat at restaurants, pubs etc. How about saving a little extra and plan something really exciting? Thailand is calling.
What are some of your tips to stay sane during this time? let me know in the comments. xoxo
