10 Tips for Self Care in Quarantine

We are living in weird times. I haven't been into work since March 16th, and haven't been to a workout class since just before that, I haven't seen my friends or my extended family. Take all of this and add a dash of already existing anxiety and depression and you've got a recipe for disaster. 

How do we adjust to our new normal for the foreseeable future while also taking care of our mental health, our bodies, doing our actual jobs, and trying to find time to do things that bring us joy?!  Navigating this quarantine has definitely been a hot mess, but here is what I've learned thus far! 

Top 5 Tips for Working From Home:

1. Set up a designated work area! The first week or so that I was working from home I neglected to do this. I was working on my laptop from the couch. My back hurt, I had headaches and I wasn't getting nearly enough done. Once I set up an "office" I was able to organize myself, and get into an "at work head space". 
2. Set designated work hours! My current work from home hours are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Setting consistent hours helps with a few things. First, it gives you the head space to say from _ o'clock- _ o'clock  I am working. Your mind is less likely to wonder, you are less likely to watch a TV show than if you hadn't set designated and consistent work hours. This will also help you to stop working at the "end of the day". You may not be getting in your car and driving home from the office, but having a designated work space and hours allows you get up and be done with work! 
3. Take breaks and eat at a consistent time! While it is helpful to set work hours, your bosses are not expecting you to sit in a chair all day  and work. Take breaks, eat and move your body! Make sure you are getting a health lunch in the middle of your work day, make sure that you are getting out for a walk release some endorphins! 
4. Get dressed for the "work day"! Get up, watch the news, have breakfast & coffee, then GO GET DRESSED. It seems like a small thing to do, but it really does make all of the difference. Getting dressed helps you to get out of the "at home" head space. It helps to motivate you for your day ahead. Have you ever tried to have a conference call in  your PJs? It feels weird. Trust me, getting dressed really does wonders. 
5. Stay in touch with your team! I work for a Community College that boasts 12 physical locations all around the state, so my team is already pretty good at staying in touch! We use email, Microsoft Teams, phone calls and Zoom! My supervisors have set up two scheduled Zoom meetings every week to go over updates an to check in with all of us. There are 12 people on my direct team, and every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30 pm we all hop on to Zoom for an hour to discuss work but also to do personal check-ins. This is extremely helpful and it is so nice to see everyone's faces and brings a bit of normalcy to our not so normal lives! p.s If you have work friends that you regularly hang out with, make sure that you are texting and calling them! Not only will it help you but it will help them as well! 

Top 5 Tips for Self Care in Quarantine:

1. Pamper yourself! Do your nails, take a bath, read a good book, have that glass of Rose. Hell do them all together! Light a candle and put on a face mask and your favorite playlist! Do what ever you need to release stress and relax! 
2. Get creative!  Start doing things that you may not have had time to do before the "Stay at Home" order. Personally, I've tackled this in a few different ways. First, I decided start making hoop wreaths again. This is a DIY that I love and an pretty good at, but hadn't made time for in recent months. Second, I decided to start an Instagram to show off said DIYs! (@simple_blossoms_market). Third, I created this blog! I've had blogs int he past, but really felt I needed a new creative outlet! And number four, and last for now, I started taking online certification courses. I have recently completed my Life Coach certification and an currently working on a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy certification. This has been so good for me, instead of watching TV or Netflix in the evenings I have been hoping on the computer to gain some new and some refreshed skills!
3. Keep your routine! Wake up at the same time everyday, even if you don't need to get up! Get up, drink your coffee, watch the news, and get dressed. Make sure that you are eating healthy and at consistent times! When you don't need to rush out the door for work in the morning, it's easy to stay up way too late (because you can sleep in) or watch TV all day or eat crappy food. Eventually, you get lost in the lack of a routine and you become tired and unmotivated. Don't get lost! 
4. Prioritize your mental health! Be mindful that this is the time to pay especially close attention to how you are feeling. We are all learning how to function in our new normal, you are not alone in the struggle. Reach out to friends and family. Call out of work, be REAL with your supervisors! Get your body moving, eat healthy meals, eat regularly! Take a nap if you want! There are a few things that have always helped me gauge my mental health. First, keep a journal. Keeping a journal... actually keeping an HONEST journal has long helped me to gauge how I am feeling and allowed me to work through what is happening. Second, is movement. I find that when I am struggling I am also probably not going out for bike rides, or walks. I am most likely just sitting in the house hyper focusing on how sad or anxious I am. Get outside and move. 
5. Keep connected!  Make it a point to keep connected with your friends and loved ones! Just because we are social distancing doesn't mean we cant be social! Do your best not to isolate yourself. Do a Facebook video chat with your friends, Zoom with your Granny and Google Hangout with the rest of them! The point is, there is so much technology out there that can keep us connected, use it. During this quarantine I decided to stay with my parents. My roommate and I live in a small two bedroom condo and it would not be conducive to me working and her teaching both 2nd grade and an under grad class. One great thing about coming home for the quarantine is that I am surrounded by those who love me, and I am my Moms on-call IT person! My Mom is in her early 60's and is not a tech person. I set her up with a re-occurring Friday night  Google Hangout  session for her and her neighborhood girl friends to get together, drink wine and chat about their weeks. We all need to stay connected, and if you can help someone do that, do it! 

-Christine