Here is a topic I didn’t think we would ever need to discuss: Social Distancing or Self-Quarantine. However, COVID-19 is here and with it comes obvious measures we all must take to stay healthy and protect our most at-risk populations.
How do we make the most of isolating without spiraling into doom-and-gloom thinking? How do we protect our bodies while also protecting our emotional wellbeing? How do we become part of the solution vs part of the problem? We have a few ideas so, here’s our plan.
First, we need to stay calm and be mindful of our energy. Adding more stress is the opposite of helpful. There is no added benefit to additional anxiety.
Clean: Duh.
We have a whole blog post coming on how to keep sanitizing eco-friendly but still kill all those nasties. In the meantime...use whatever you’ve got. We will not judge you for using bleach since we’ve been using it too...have you seen my jeans? White splatter everywhere and I don’t care.
Next step: Donate.
NOW is the time, while you’re stuck at home, to clear out the things that no longer serve you because there is someone in your community, right now that isn’t getting paid and they NEED YOUR HELP. They may work at your local arena where concerts and events have been canceled. They may work at Apple and their store is closed. They need your help right now and you have something they could use. Make sure it’s clean and sanitized and then donate it ASAP to whatever local charity makes the most sense. Clean out your cabinets and take that food to the local food pantry. Do it NOW! The best way to get out of our own funk is to help someone else and our communities need us NOW. I realize this requires us to leave our homes but if you do it quickly and you sanitize yourself we can get help where it's needed now.
We can’t wait for our government to pick up the slack*. We must put down our political opinions and become the change we want to see in the world. RIGHT NOW. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Love humanity for the sake of your own humanity.
*I edited out a total of 5 pages of my personal rant here. If you'd like to know what I was going to rant about you may read HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.
Nest
Once you have cleared out all the items that are no longer serving you, you can focus your energy on creating a space that not only serves you but comforts you during this difficult and weird time.
- Clean out the clutter. Recycle anything that can be recycled.
- Rearrange your space in a new way, and while you’re at it, clean behind that sofa that’s lived in the same spot for 4 years.
- Clean your windows. You will love the extra light that your body needs.
- Love on your plants. They have missed you. Clean up any dead leaves and now is a great time to give them a little fertilizer.
- Refresh your pillow collection. It’s the fastest way to really change the look of your room and make it feel like a new space that you specifically designed to comfort you.
- Refresh your Art Collection- affordably! Swap out your pieces for some fresh new prints and get creative with how you hang them.
Connect (kinda)
PICK UP THE PHONE (after you spray it down with alcohol). This is one I’m super guilty of avoiding. I have become too dependent on text messages to check-in and, while it’s a great way to stay connected, it’s not nearly as good as hearing the voices of your loved ones. You need to hear their tone to know how they’re doing. Often, just letting someone vent about their fears and frustrations will help them far more than physically going to their space. Remember, part of the solution is checking on each other.
We can still use social media to stay connected to our friends, family, and neighbors. But, REALLY connect. REALLY ask how they’re doing and then REALLY listen/read. Ask if you can help (from a distance). A note of caution: AVOID ALL NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA unless you can confirm it’s from a truly reputable source. Just because your aunt Gina said her friend from kindergarten has a student that has a cousin with coronavirus that was given to them by an infected roll of tin foil...you get my point.
Avoid the News 24/7
I am not suggesting you ignore the pandemic, but I am suggesting you limit your consumption of news media. Often, for a few dollars a month, you can subscribe to your local newspaper and get alerts on breaking news that will not flood your brain with TERROR but, will keep you informed. You can also subscribe, for FREE via email, to The Post Most from The Washington Post. Follow this link to curate your own daily email update of the news that matters the most to you. They have about 70 different types of newsletters on everything from Coronavirus daily updates to how to stay healthy and everything in between. I particularly love The Optimist Newsletter.
Reacquaint yourself with your music collection and only consume news in limited quantities from reputable sources.
Volunteer in your Neighborhood
Find your neighbors that are elderly (and most at risk) that may not have family around. Reach out to see if they need anything so they can avoid the madness at the stores and possible exposure. Keep your hands clean while you shop for them. Again, the best way to get out of our own funk is to help someone else. If you know you haven’t been exposed, make a meal and take it to your elderly neighbors. Offer to walk their dogs. Help them. They need us.
Create
Yes, now is the time to redirect your anxiety into something other than more anxiety. This is the perfect time to get back into whatever you loved doing creatively but stopped doing because you were trying to find toilet paper. If you didn’t have a “thing” now is the perfect time to find one! Jump on Skillshare, Udemy, or Creativebug. If your “thing” required getting together with other people to do the thing, can you figure out a way to do the thing alone? (stop being dirty...you know what we mean).
If you need supplies for the new creative thing, as far as we know, Amazon still has craft supplies. Just make sure your new craft doesn’t involve paper towels or TP, mmmkay?
This too shall pass… this too shall pass...COVID-19 is a problem, a BIG problem but, with a little planning and some creativity, we can get through this together.
