Well friends, it has been one hell of a month so far. We’ve watched the stock market go crazy, borders being closed, public places shutting down, people heading into self-isolation, toilet paper flying off the shelves… Can’t say I expected the first quarter of 2020 to play out like this!
Before we dive into a discussion on the specifics of self-isolation, I want to pause and thank everyone who is making the smart choice to practice social distancing. I know it’s difficult as a healthy, privileged young person to see an outbreak like COVID-19 and think, “No worries, it’s just like the flu.” Because that’s not what this is about.
By choosing to stay home and limit your own exposure, you’re helping to protect those in your community that are at far greater risk. My thoughts personally go straight to my grandparents, both in their nineties, and to immuno-compromised family and friends. So to those of us hunkering down at home for the coming weeks, stay strong — this is bigger than us. And please save some toilet paper for everyone else.
Many of us this week are going to be working from home. This is my first time spending more than a day or two in a row working remotely, so I’m definitely going to be taking the advice of more seasoned remote workers:
- Setting up a semi-permanent workstation at home, with similar amenities to those at the office
- Keeping a similar schedule
- Aligning expectations around work hours with others in self-quarantine (in my case, just my husband and my cat — I’ll let you guess which one is more clingy while I’m working!)
- Taking periodic healthy breaks to boost morale and productivity
But for those of us that usually have a commute, staying home does present one large benefit: extra time that isn’t spent commuting! This is compounded by any time you would usually spend out at public events and will now be home. So how will you spend this newfound time? Here are some great options:
- Cook at home (with all those groceries you panic-bought over the weekend!)
- Read the book you got as a Christmas gift that you’ve been meaning to get to (guilty!)
- Create at-home fitness and self-care routines (shoutout to Sydney Cummings, who releases a new free at-home workout on Youtube every single day!)
- Quality family time (without devices as much as possible, of course!)
- Tackle that passion project, side hustle, or self-improvement journey you’ve been “meaning” to take on for ages
As much as you can, take this time to invest in yourself. What will you do with the extra time that not commuting or going out affords you? Will you invest in yourself and in getting your life together? Or will you catch up on Netflix (or worse, even more work emails)?
If you have been waiting for the perfect time to get your life together… I hate to say it, but if you’re sitting at home with extra hours in your day due to social distancing, the perfect time has actually arrived. When life gives you lemons… organize your life!
Not sure how to get started? I’m here to help. Click here to book a call with me to chat about your goals, your struggles, and how life organization coaching can help you get on track this year — self-isolation notwithstanding 😉
Stay safe, stay healthy, stay productive, and stay happy this week!
How are you spending your week? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
