How to Get Through Quarantine: The Self-Care Way

By now, I’ve been unemployed for a year. I’ve been living without a car, and run out of things to do a few times. Here’s what my quarantine low looked like for me: Rolling out of bed a different time each day, playing video games until 12:00pm, and not eating enough because I’m too lazy to cook for myself. Here’s how it looks now: I have a morning routine, two side hustles, I keep cooking for myself, and I have a reason to get out of bed every morning even when it seems hard. I’ve learned a LOT, and I’m going to share what I’ve learned with you here.

Have A Morning Routine

When I was rolling out of bed at 8:00 am one morning, 9:30 the next, I didn’t feel too great. Previously I got up and didn’t eat, and played video games until lunch time. I was starved, cranky, and had no energy. Now, I set my alarm for 8:00 am every morning, except for weekends when I turn it off. I get up, sometimes make the bed, and eat something.

Then, I do an achievable workout. It is important to do something you can maintain even when life gets rough. During fair weather I would go for a bike ride or a jog. It used to be my routine all the time but it was difficult to maintain. My regular routine now is that I pull up a dance video on Youtube on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I pull up a stretching video on Tuesday, and Thursday, having lulls in my week. My favorite choreographers now are Jamie Kinkeade, and fitseveneleven.

Build Side Hustles that Will Make You Money Next Year

After I get in my fitness, I work on something that takes up about two to four hours of my day. That way, I have something to plan around. I was introduced to side hustles in a fantastic book, “Side Hustle” by Chris Guillebeau. For a while I worked on making my Etsy shop, which took considerably more time than I thought it would. It allows me to be creative but also set myself up for more income later in life.

My second side hustle I attempted was pet sitting. I adore dogs and cats, so I made an account on Rover.com. There, you can list yourself as a pet sitter provided you pay for a background check. I didn’t expect anyone would need me, and I only listed myself available to clients who live within five miles of my apartment. That’s because I needed to bike to reach my clients. Surprisingly, I did get a booking a few months into it. When I move to a more populated area I’ll build on this Side Hustle and hopefully look after more adorable animals.

My third idea was that I wanted to make a blog. I didn’t end up making my own separate website, because it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Believe me, I watched many YouTube videos about Freelance Writing and how to make money on a Blog. In the end, I found Vocal. I don’t get enough views to make any money here, so it doesn’t count as a Side Hustle. Maybe I would if I made my own website. That said, learning about a potential Side Hustle kept me going, and taught me more about how to make money on my own. I also discovered that writing is a new favorite hobby.

Figure Out Your Priorities for Daily Action

For me, it’s Fitness, Business, and Free Time. I have Fitness covered by doing my YouTube workout or stretch routine. I work on my business after, then look forward to some free time. I also see a therapist through Zoom, which adds an extra level of support for me in my life. Free time is pretty self explanatory - I work on my hobbies, like gaming, baking, or reading. I also make sure to phone a friend.

Leave Your Home Every Day, Somehow

Dude, if you get cooped up inside it will feel like your thoughts are overstepping their boundaries every single day. Every time I go outside, whether I go for a walk or visit my neighbor, my faith in humanity is restored. Leave the house, or the apartment, for at least a little bit when you can. When things were bad for me, I still went to check the mail regularly.

Have Covid-Safe Friends, Greet Your Neighbors

During my time living where I do now, I met several new people just by going outside. I met my neighbor, her dog, and her granddaughter. I’ve also gone on a walk and said “hi” to another neighbor who was working on his lawn or in his garden. Going to the library meant I got to talk to the librarian for a few minutes. My faith in humanity increased just through these interactions.

Later, my boyfriend and I made two of our best friends out of our neighbors, who have a house and a dog just one street over. We have game nights, campfires, and walks with their dog. Having friends nearby makes life so much better - and this is all during Covid-19. You can and should put it out there to the universe that you are looking for someone to spend time with. It could change your outlook.

Do Online Learning of Some Sort

I realized I was completely forgetting my High School Spanish. Now I get an email every day from DuoLingo, and practice for five or ten minutes. It makes me feel like I’m not losing the language completely. Some day, when I’m really busy at work, I’ll still have five seconds a day to run through a Spanish vocab lesson. Second, I’ve looked into free online courses. I’ve taken Think Resilience from the Post Carbon Institute, and a Soil Ecology Course on Future Learn. Admittedly they aren’t done yet, but they are there for me to brush up on some info. Last, get into good podcasts.

Don’t bother watching the news and feeling depressed, listen to something like "Today, Explained", or "The Positive Truth". You learn something and become informed. There are also some life changing personal growth podcasts I have listened to. These include "How To Fail with Elizabeth Day", and "The Good Life Project". There’s something on Spotify for everyone, and you can always crowd source with your friends to find something that suits your fancy.

Conclusion

None of what I have learned is contrived. I’m building habits for life so that I have art, online learning, writing, my Etsy, and fitness even when I’m working. When I have a bad day I’ll have these coping mechanisms so I don’t degrade without noticing it. I can’t stress this enough - I have used this time alone to figure out how to be alone. It's taken me awhile to realize this, but it is for the better. I hope this article helps you in some way. If you would like to read more of my work please feel free to check out my blog.

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