Yep. It’s the subject on everyone’s mind and is everywhere you look on social media and news pages – COVID-19.
I’m not going to go into what to do and what not to do with regards to COVID-19 and social distancing, but I made the decision earlier this week to work from home and avoid people as much as possible. Not a huge change from my day to day life really.. I’m very lucky to work for a company who have made the facilities for people to do so, and to have a job that can be done at home.
So this is now day 4 (or maybe 5, they’re starting to blur into one long day) and I’ve had to create a new daily routine to make sure my house doesn’t turn into a scene from The Shining.
Side note – The Shining is a great film, if you haven’t seen it this isolation time is a good opportunity to watch it. If you have, watch it again. You can never see that film too many times.
In case any of you are struggling to maintain your sanity or aren’t lucky enough to be able to work from home, I thought I’d share the key things that have helped me this week.
Note that I’m not ill or showing any symptoms of Corona Virus so I’m carrying on as usual but from home. If you’re feeling unwell or showing symptoms don’t pressure yourself into doing anything.
Set an alarm
If you’re not working it’s easy to lie in and stay in bed for most of the day. Trust me, this will get boring quickly. I’ve set an alarm for 9am each day so I get up and make myself breakfast and a coffee whilst I catch up on some trash TV before continuing with my day.
Waking up at the same time each day will help to maintain your body clock and make sure you don’t sleep through every day of your self isolation.
Exercise or stretch
I have problems with my hips, so I’ve taken up yoga to stretch and take 15 minutes out of my day to relax and breathe. As well as using my resistance bands for a minimum of 3 workouts a week, my beach body for 2020 might not be put on hold after all!
Always wanted to be able to do the splits? Or maybe you’re not as flexible as you used to be. Now is the perfect time to get started. A closed gym doesn’t have to stop you from working out at home. Continue your fitness regime at home, there are lots of home workouts available, the Gymshark app have made all home workouts free during this time and their instagram Gymshark Train has been uploaded with lots of varieties of exercise from different athletes.
Read
I’ve always loved to read. One of my goals for this year was to read 100 books. In January I thought it was going to be impossible to get to 100, turns out I was wrong.
Take some time out of your day to get comfortable and read your favourite book, or even a new one. If you don’t have any books why not listen to an audio book or podcast? It’ll help to mentally take you away from your current situation and put you into a whole new one.
Eat healthily and drink lots of water
Whilst I’m working at home I’ve continued to have the same lunch I would if I were in the office – rice, chicken & greens and fruit as a snack. Don’t use this time as an excuse to eat the contents of your kitchen in one day, track what you’re eating on an app such as MyFitnessPal so that you can carry on towards your fitness goals.
I’ve also continued to track how much water I’m drinking daily. It’s tempting to drink endless cups of tea or coffee when you’re at home but make sure you stay hydrated, especially if you’re working out at home too.
Go outside
Ok, so it’s only my garden but it’s important to get some fresh air. Each day during a work break I go outside and breathe in some fresh air for 15 minutes. When I return to my desk (AKA the dining table) I feel refreshed and I’m ready to carry on working.
If you don’t have a garden, open your windows and let some fresh air into your home.
Check in with friends
Just because you can’t go out and see your friends doesn’t mean you have to lose contact with them. Message, FaceTime or call your friends and family. Have conversations and be normal. Human beings are social creatures so it’s important to keep that going if you can’t go and see people.
And most importantly of all, relax. These are tough and confusing times for everyone, but we can all get through it together. Make the most of the time that you have to do those things that you’re always putting off and look after yourselves.
“However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at”
Stephen Hawking
A.x
Amy Louise 