It's Called Coping... 5 Things That Are Helping Me Get Through My Quarantine

Last week was hard for me. We got the news in LA that we would be sheltering in place through July and we now must wear masks at all times when outside. I know we need to do these things, but it was just a lot of news to get at the same time. If I've learned anything over the last few months it's that quarantines are different for everyone. Some of us are with our partners, some with our families, some with our extended families and some, like me, are solo. Some of us are introverts who are loving the alone time and some of us are extroverts who are craving human contact. As we ride the emotional wave of week 10 below are a few tips that are helping me cope with all the feelings right now. 

1. Find your crew. 

These could be old friends or new ones, but find people who will pick up the phone when you call, listen, and not judge you when you’re having a bad day. And be that person for your crew too. This crew should make up some people who are quarantining differently than you too. My crew consists of those in big homes, those in tiny ones, single friends, moms, dads, grandparents, people running businesses and people looking for work. This crew helps keep things in perspective and reminds us that we’re in this together, we’re all coping differently and that it’s nice to have each other to lean on. 

2. Surround yourself with uplifting content. 

It’s pretty stressful in the world right now, but there’s some really great “happy” content. While I’m all for what’s trending, I find my emotions are super heightened and easily affected by what I watch. Scientists say that it’s because of our lack of stimulus from our old lives in conjunction with the stress of everything happening around us… makes sense! So, I’ve been binging shows that focus on creativity - fashion, storytelling, cooking, design and just plain old fun. This week I dove into Never Have I Ever (loved!) and caught up on some Outlander. My brother-in-law recently started rewatching Cheers and is loving it. We live in a time where there is content everywhere… rewatch those favorite movies from your childhood, binge a little British Baking Show, but find things that will make you smile and laugh. You won’t regret it. 

3. Get a routine.

This is what saved me last week. I got back into a routine. For a few weeks I was just flying by the seat of my stretchy pants and that left me feeling unproductive, stressed out and annoyed that I hadn’t showered earlier in the day. Monday I was back to basics. Alarm on. Get ready in the morning. Put on some jeans and attack the day. It’s already made me feel mentally stronger and, in turn, I’m being much more productive. 

4. Turn off the devices. 

This is the hardest one. Being solo I want to stay connected, but all the zooms, calls and texts (do people now only communicate via text??) can make me feel overwhelmed and fatigued. To combat this I decided that I’m only doing virtual happy hours Thursday and Friday. I'm also limiting calls (to the best of my ability) from 9am - 2pm. This leaves time to get work done, workout, and get some real downtime in. I realize this might feel impossible for people who have full time, high-stress jobs (in addition to parenting, cleaning and homeschooling) right now, but what if you did this just one day a week or two? Would it help?

5. Accept that we’re coping. 

I’ve finally come to grips with the fact that I’m coping. I didn’t see it as that for the last 9 weeks, but something clicked this week that this is what my coping looks like. Some days I cry. Some days I bake. Some days I walk a half marathon around town. Some days I work from 9am-7pm. Some days I turn up the music really loud and dance it out. Some days I watch 2 movies in a row while having popcorn and wine for dinner. And you know what, it’s ok. It’s ok to feel all the things. There’s no roadmap for what we’re experiencing right now, so accept your journey for what it is. 

In the end, don’t be too hard on yourself and do what feels right for you. Take a deep breath, think about the good you’re doing and focus on that. You got this.