A lot has changed in the last few weeks. We’re all in quarantine and trying our best to stay safe (and disinfected). Sadly, some people are experiencing the worst of it.
Even through these challenging times, it’s important to remember what we do have. Health care workers, small businesses, hospitality, and service industry staff have been on my mind since the COVID-19 outbreak reached the U.S. I was really disappointed when we had to postpone our engagement party and photoshoot, but I had to think about those with way more to lose than me.
Like many of us, I’ve been working from home since the first recommendations came out to stay home. I had to remember to be grateful that I have a job where I can work from home, even though it has been a challenge at times.
There are so many articles out there about coping with stress during this time and the best strategies for working from home. But I wanted to share some things that have worked for me:
- Keeping some sort of routine. I’m not going to lie, working from home can be weird. You don’t know whether to relax or stay on your guard all day. It can be stressful. But waking up at the same time and doing a morning routine has helped me. I usually wake up and get dressed (even if it is workout gear), then make breakfast and log in to my computer at my makeshift desk. This helps to put my mind in work mode. What has been hard is taking breaks, though. I know they are essential to being productive in general.
- Have a set end time to work and do something to relax. Once the workday is over, I close my laptop so I can decompress. I don’t know about y’all, but we’ve had days where my team and I where in constant communication and things were moving fast. This can be tiring. So it has been necessary to do things to relax after the workday. Which brings me to my next point.
- Stay active. Not being able to go to the gym has been difficult. Everyone has been posting an at home workout or coming up with challenges. But let’s be real. When you’re at home, you don’t always have the motivation. Luckily, we can still be active outside if we wish. I admit I have not worked out every day since we’ve been in quarantine, but I can always tell a difference when I do. So however long we’ll be stuck in the house, I’ll keep working out at the top of my list of activities.
- Meditate/read/listen to sermons. There’s so much news and information coming at us, especially now, and it can get overwhelming. I have to do things to get my mind off what’s happening. Meditating and reading have helped me escape a bit during this difficult time and I highly recommend this if you aren’t regularly doing it.
I know it’s a challenging time but we can get through it – we have to! Like most people, I can’t wait to hang with my friends again and travel. Until then, I’m staying hopeful and trying my best to get through. 🙂
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