Make Self Quarantine Work For You

It's one thing to stay home by choice, but staying home because you HAVE to is a whole other animal entirely.

What makes it even harder is you have no idea how long you'll be doing this for. At least when you got grounded growing up you knew how long you were grounded for. You had that internal countdown keeping track of how long until your life would go back to normal.

Quarantine isn't the total isolation that it used to be. You can use technology to help feel connected. FaceTime, InstaStories, Videos, social media, texting & phone calls are great ways to connect with people when you can't do it in person. But what do you do?

There's only so much Netflix binging, napping, and day drinking a person can do before it gets old.

Have you gotten there yet? I just watched a video of Ellen trying to talk to a telemarketer because she was so bored.

So how do you make self-quarantine work for you?

Most people start with time fillers. Social media, videos, games, reading, baking, naps and things that give you an escape. These are great, but most people get bored with them.

Next are the project tasks. These are the things that have been on your to-do list. They may not be the most fun, but you would have done them eventually. These include cleaning, organizing closets, decluttering, hanging pictures, cleaning out the fridge, organizing your photos and other projects you've wanted to do.

Finally you can set quarantine goals.

This is where people really start to differentiate from each other. Quarantine goals are things you've always wanted to do but haven't had time, they can be things that move you closer to a larger primary goal, or it can be stepping into your upgraded life to see how it feels. These are great ways to find your path & some fit into multiple categories.

Things you've wanted to do, but haven't had time. These are often things you've had on your list for months or maybe even years. Many times it's something with a learning curve. A language. A new skill like knitting, yoga, photography, or cooking. Upgrading a skillset also falls into this category. Finally finishing a course you bought or learning how to use more than just the basic features of something. Great examples are Quickbooks, Lightroom, or your instapot. They usually take some time & can't be completed in one session.

I like to call these supporting goals. They move you closer to a primary goal. Learning Italian for a trip you're planning to Italy. Writing chapters for the book you've dreamed of publishing. Setting up a website so you can sell your product. Taking a course so you check the boxes for an upcoming promotion. Starting an exercise routine so you're prepared for an upcoming hiking trip, marathon, or just you have enough energy to chase toddlers around all day.

Finally, and this is the most fun in my opinion. Try on your dream life. Maybe you dream of working from home. Here's your chance to step into that. How have you pictured your life when that happened? Do you make breakfast every morning or sit on your porch with a cup of coffee? Maybe you saw yourself going for a run and watching the sunrise. Do those things. See if you really like it or if it's something that just looked good on paper.

Have you been picturing what life would be like if you weren't constantly running from one practice or game to another and there was time to actually sit down and eat dinner? Now's the time. Have an everyone sits at the table dinner. Cook together. Order in. Do it how you pictured it.

It doesn't matter how much or how little you do as long as it feels right for you.