The Truth About Your Quarantine Routines

Before quarantine, my routine wasn’t perfect, but it was there. Wake up about an hour or so before I had to leave for work (I’m lucky to have a quick commute!), get ready, make some breakfast to bring to work, take out my dog and head out of the door. On the good days, I had my gym bag with me so I could go straight to the gym after work. Come home, eat, shower, the cycle repeats. On the weekends I set up my day based on whatever plans or appointments I had.

Then, COVID-19 happened. 

For some, like doctors, nurses, first responders, police officers and other essential business workers, it’s been business as usual. So, let's take a sec to appreciate to all those incredible essential human beings - you’re making the world go around right now. I am so grateful and am sending all my love and support your way. 

For the rest of us, our lives were flipped upside down. Forced to pack up and head home for the semester, say see you “soon?” to our coworkers, start working from home, unable to see our significant other or unfortunately maybe losing a job completely. It was, and still is, a little bit of a shock.

When quarantine first started, I was waking up at my ideal time, still feeling semi-motivated, getting work done for my corporate job in a timely manner and going for runs or walks almost every day. I even was able to invest in a new pair of running shoes. I’m extremely blessed that this was even a possibility for me as my job allows me to work from home and complete similar tasks as I would in the office or any other day. I tried to maintain this idea of if I keep my schedule as close to what it was as possible, I’ll be okay. Honestly, it worked in the beginning, maybe the first three weeks.

Then, to no surprise I hit a rut.

Yesterday was the first day I ran in weeks. My workouts have been short if they even exist at all. Some days I wait until the last possible minute to turn on my work laptop. Last week my sleep schedule was totally off, and I was finding myself on Tik Tok much more than I should have been. My usual “routine” was all out of whack. But thankfully, after some time, I’ve been able to get back on “track” with my routine.

The same routine you may ask? Not at all! And I didn’t change overnight either.

Now more than ever it’s important to pay attention to your mental state and your body. Some argue that not sticking to a routine to can be considered a lack of discipline, but remember this is a pandemic. We’re in chartered territory! I URGE you to cut yourself some slack! There is so much uncertainty right now which lends itself to feelings of anxiety, nervousness and just a lack of inspiration, probably more than usual.

Pandemic or not, when something isn’t enjoyable or feels stale, that’s usually a sign that we need to make some changes. Think about it. When your skin breaks out, you usually take out or use a new product. If your phone isn’t working, sometimes it’s because it needs an update. If your dog or cat isn’t eating their food, it’s worth a shot to try a new brand. Change isn’t good or bad - sometimes it’s just what’s necessary. And that goes for changing routines!

That’s another reason why this is such a great time try new activities if you choose to. Trying a new recipe or buying a couple puzzles or starting a YouTube channel is about more than filling your time. I know productivity is an extremely polarizing topic right now. And I think it’s because people forget that “productivity” looks different for everybody. On top of it, whatever your idea of productivity was BEFORE quarantine, that isn’t going to look the same now. In my opinion, productivity is about keeping yourself engaged and feeling as purposeful as possible without draining yourself. And that looks different for everybody! Productivity for me might mean just getting all my e-mails cleared, doing my corporate work for the day and walking my dog. For someone else it could mean making the bed in the morning and reading a book. For another person it means just getting through the day without negative self-talk.

Productivity is subjective.

Okay, sorry I digress. So back to routine. If something isn’t right in your day to day, think about making some changes. Maybe you need to try something new every day until it sticks.

Now, I’m not telling you to NOT stick to any sort of routine. What I am saying is don’t be hard on yourself! If you didn’t feel like cleaning your bathroom sink and your quarantine routine has been doing a deep clean of every room in the house every Tuesday night, that’s okay.

Maybe you missed a workout, stopped that painting project you started, watched way more Netflix than you usually or ordered take out more often instead of cooking. You should have a sense of routine during this, but don’t think your routine is one size fits all.

The reality is this: we don’t have many options right now, so becoming a little more antsy, feeling unmotivated or anxious is 100% normal. Sometimes, that’s your body telling you it needs an adjustment. And those adjustments might be more frequent than they were before. I know it has been for me. I’ve had to do some trial and error throughout quarantine when it came to my routine.

My changes have included changing the location of my desk, (I’ve done it three times so all quarantine). I’m not afraid to lie on my couch to send e-mails because it doesn’t seem “professional”. Sometimes I’ll take a break mid-day to throw my laundry in the wash in the middle of the day rather than wait until 5pm. I try to run maybe once or twice a week now if possible and I prioritize stretching. I found a new Youtuber to watch. I even attended a virtual workshop on the “two-hour workday” to see if maybe some tips in there would help (if you’re interested in hearing about that let me know). This is what’s worked for ME for the time being. For my friends who unfortunately have lost their jobs, their day looks totally different. And that’s okay, you need to find what works for you.

But before we get too ahead of ourselves, there is one important step: becoming aware

For me, becoming aware of these negative and uninspired feelings was really frustrating at first. But ultimately, I reevaluated the situation and how I was acting. And I let myself have those sluggish and lazy days. 

Allow yourself to mentally rest - and I mean really rest - so you can reset. 

At first, when I was lounging and scrolling through Instagram, my mind was still running! Telling me to stop being so lazy and get moving. I got really annoyed at myself for “wasting my time.” But, newsflash sometimes you need that! And it is so counterproductive to get angry or upset with yourself when this happens. We’re only human. Have you ever heard the saying “you can’t hate yourself skinny”? Well, you can’t “hate yourself productive either.” When you understand that those lazy moments are okay and part of your process, it’s so much easier to accept where you’re at and find the strength to move forward. We must be gentle with ourselves. So, I let myself be, without the guilt.

Once I took note of those feelings, felt them to the fullest, and learned to let them go, I started making some tweaks here and there.

As I mentioned I moved my furniture a bit. I bought a new face cleanser. Every morning I set up a neat workspace and at the end of the day, I pack it all away. I used to not never do that (I used to just leave my work laptop wherever it was to be honest and that even included my living room floor). That motion of starting activities and ending them neatly makes me feel better about moving on to my next activity. Whether it be walking my dog or calling a friend or writing a blog.  Something so simple has given me a sense of order.

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We were forced to change extremely abruptly and extremely quickly. Human beings are creatures of habit and routine (which got ripped from us in the blink of an eye!) If you’re reading this and find yourself feeling a little more grouchy or sluggish than usual, think about your routine. As crazy as it sounds, maybe change it up. One thing at a time. Think about something small you can implement; lighting a candle before bed, setting up more Zoom calls, rearrange your furniture, print out some coloring pages, etc. Maybe you haven’t had a routine at all and are ready to implement one. Try giving yourself a sense of order and see what happens.

The most important part of this experience is being aware and prioritizing what makes you feel at ease and relaxed. Make sure you’re putting yourself first. Don’t compare your routine to anyone else's and let go of the idea of what you “should” be doing during quarantine.