Not an exciting news, but our State Government issued a stay-at-home starting last evening which practically means a lock down/curfew. Even worse the order for social-distancing, quarantine will likely be extended till early June. While it might be devastating to a lot of small businesses and mentally disturbing to a lot of parents, you gotta realize that this has been done keeping into account public welfare and safety. It might be hard to comprehend the current situation but in retrospect this decision was much needed considering the mortality rate and steep-trajectory of confirmed cases.
Anyways, I don't want to fuel the fire in you by talking more about the virus and it's implications on Americans. Rather, I would like to talk to you about the everyday changes you can make and easily adapt to ensure productivity while quarantining.
Wake up early or at least before everyone else - remember we are not on a vacation. It's a regular work and school day for most except the location is now your home. We all have office tasks and other things to accomplish each day and while your day doesn't begin as early as when you were going to office and your kids going to school, I would suggest you still wake up before everyone to lay out things like snacks, school work, activities, water, coffee, juice and other essentials, load/unload the dishwasher, start a laundry, prepare meals and set the house to begin the day.
Bathe before you sit down to work. Prioritize bathing and getting dressed up in the morning or if not at least remove your nightwear and wear fresh clothes which ain't lounge wear or pj's. The idea is to not make yourself too comfortable, challenge yourself to get ready every morning. I'm not asking you to do your makeup and hair but if doing that sets the note for you, DO IT! Starting with a fresh mind, clean body and fresh clothes will elevate your mood right away.
Prepare a schedule for everyone in the house. My family thrives well on a structure. We are now on our third week of quarantine- the first week we took it easy and realized that we wasted so much of our time on frivolous things, so second week we chalked out a schedule for each member and we all seemed to enjoy it. We have a community white board with each one's schedule, quiet time, no-disturbing, meeting, calls time all written out loud. We try to stick to this weekly schedule as much as possible but have flexibility. Don't push yourself too much and be open to moving around things if needed.
Designate a work/ space - Not too much to ask, I would suggest designating a working space for everyone. Nowadays, everyone has a home office and kids have their own study desks. Try to make most most of the spaces in your house and assign an individual space every member. Worst case use your dining table as your new office and your kids classroom. Refrain working from the comfort of your couch or your bed as those are the most inefficient ways of getting anything done.
Eat proper meals - start your day with a good wholesome breakfast. A good balanced breakfast will keep you full and get you through the mid-morning, early-afternoon hump. If possible, try eating all the meals including lunch with your family in your dining room versus your work space or bedroom. This would give you all a break and give you the feel of eating out in a noisy restaurant and your kids the feel off their school cafeteria. Do snack mindfully in-between meals. Don't just munch on salty snacks or sugary stuff. This will give you instant energy but will make you crash and tire you out soon.
Stay hydrated - staying hydrated is so so important. As the weather warms up and your body looses more water- you need to keep replenishing. It is so easy to forget drinking water when you are working. Dehydration will only make you sluggish. I would suggest you bring a bottle to your work station, this would constantly remind you to keep sipping. Green teas are also great when it comes to staying hydrated.
Exercise, stretch and meditate - all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, in my case Saumya a dull girl. Don't just stay glued to your desk, walk around, stretch and meditate even it is for a short ten minutes. Most of the gyms and fitness centers now offer complimentary virtual classes and you could pick a different one each day to switch things up. Alternate between a few different exercise routines and time and situation permitting play a sport outside in your backyard or take a run around the block, but remember stay alert, stay safe and maintain distance.
Be flexible and keep an open mind - don't be too stringent. This is a change that everyone needs to make their new norm and get acclimated to. Be respectful of others feelings specially younger kids and older adults as they would need more time to get accustomed to all this change. Don't beat yourself up if you feel inadequate or aren't able to accomplish a certain task on a day. This time is tough and uncharted for everyone-so take it easy! Don't overwhelm yourself or feel remorse, simply go with the flow one day at a time.
Reach out to your loved ones - this is the time when we all need more and more intervention and human interaction. Whenever you feel gutted or are anxious, just pick up your phone call or Facetime your loved one, check on them, chat with them. We all need some kind of human interaction besides the family members living with us in our homes.
These are just some of the lifestyle changes we are making to adapt to this time of crisis. What changes are you making?
Some BTS- These pictures were taken a week ago. We woke up early to get to this neighborhood and get some Cherry Blossom shots.
