How to stay sane while social distancing
I don’t think I’m the only one who’s hitting the stage in social distancing where my brain has officially turned to mush— it’s truly a miracle I’m able to put together proper sentences right now. It’s normal to not feel so normal right now, but I thought I’d share a few things that have been helping me have a more enjoyable home-bound experience (aside from endless coffee refills, of course)!
one healthy meal a day
All this baking I’ve been doing over the last few weeks has meant I haven’t been eating as clean as I would like. Although I’m making a point to not feel guilty about the extra sweets (I am getting pure joy from baking so this is a judgment-free zone please), I know I feel better when I’m eating well. So in an effort to balance out the goodies, I’m challenging myself to have at least one healthy meal a day.
The meal that I’ve focused on this week is breakfast. I’ve started making green smoothies again and it feels good to be ingesting my body with all the fruits and veggies first thing in the AM. My go-to green smoothie has handfuls of kale and baby spinach with strawberries, mango, pineapple, banana, and water.
embracing fun
If you have been following me on the gram, then you know I (like many other people in the world) have been addicted to Animal Crossing lately. Now, I’m not usually the gamer type, but I am proud to say I have probably spent days’ worth of time shaking trees and fishing sea bass. I’m really thankful to have an activity to do right now that is for no one but myself, and I think it’s important to find those moments of pure fun right now—even if that fun comes from paying off my mortgage to a Mister Tom Nook.
The family and I have also been participating in some pretty brutal races on Mario Kart. We just got the game last week and I can confirm I am awful at it, and yet I continue to be disappointed every time I don’t finish a race in first, haha!
Painting is an activity I’ve been exploring as of late. I have dabbled into painting before, but have really appreciated it more now than ever because of how great of a brain-relaxer it can be. I think a lot of people think painting can be intimidating because they’re focused on getting good results (myself included), but it really is an activity that delivers the most benefit through the process. Painting is an opportunity to let your brain go and move colourful liquids all over the place on a blank canvas— doesn’t get much better than that! In the words of Nike and Shia LaBeouf, “just do it” my friends.
organize your space
During this time, I have experienced guilt over how I spend my time…I got this feeling when all this started, and I’m not sure if it was coming from myself or social media (probably a mix of both), that I had to be making the most of this time indoors by learning a new language, trying new hobbies, starting side hustles, reorganizing every nook and cranny, etc. etc. To put it simply, it was overwhelming. The reality is, this unprecedented time means we’re not operating like our normal selves! Everyone is handling this major life change differently, and whichever way you process it is perfectly okay—some people need to keep their mind busy and tackle things on their to-do list to keep them sane, others may not have the mental energy to be in “productive-mode.”
H O W E V E R, although I don’t think anyone should feel pressured to get their whole life in order, I do think it’s helpful to focus on organizing the place in your home you’re using the most right now. So, for example, my “office” is currently located at the end of my parents’ kitchen table and for the first couple of weeks of social distancing, I had memory cards, pens, notebooks, and cameras all over the place and I was having a hard time working effectively. Fast forward some time, and I discovered an IKEA box in the basement with an unassembled RASKOG utility cart and I nearly cried happy tears. I assembled the cart and took 10 minutes to quickly sort everything on the table onto the different tiers of the cart and immediately felt calmer. I now know where all my tools are and I have free space on the table to put my coffee mug, wahoo!
Less than an hour of organizing has made these last few weeks such a better working experience for me. Whether you’re working from home or embracing more time on the couch, spending even just a few moments on tidying up the area you’re spending most of your time can have amazing benefits on your mood.
blast that music!
Whether I’m working on editing a new video or making pancakes on Sunday morning (a new tradition we’ve embraced in the Da Silva household), having music on in the background has been an easy way to add good energy into my space. I love quiet time but with all this time at home, sometimes I just need to fill the room with music because I can’t fill it with people, haha!
I think music can also be a great way to differentiate periods of your day. I have playlists on Spotify for different moods and activities—in the mornings I play my mornings playlist, during work I tend to gravitate to the instrumentals in my study playlist, and when I need to do some dancing I pop on some throwbacks.
share to connect
We all know how important it is to stay connected with friends and family during this time— thankfully the internet makes it really easy for us to chat via text and video! But I think something that I find myself missing is shared experiences like trying a new restaurant with my bestie or checking out the latest musical in the city. Shared experiences, in addition to usually just being plain old fun, help us bond with each other; when we’re all stuck at home, it can feel like we’re missing out on this, but shared experiences are still possible even through our phones!
This might sound silly, but something as simple as sharing a meme I come across online or a funny Tik Tok with a friend helps me feel more connected with my loved ones. Watching a tv show or movie (or even reading a book) that someone recommended to me and following up with them on my thoughts is a way I feel more connected with my loved ones. GIVING my friends and family recommendations and telling someone, “Hey, I think you’d love this book because _____” or “this quote made me think of you” is also another awesome way to connect. My friend Maddy and I often send each other a screenshot each day of our weird co-star readings and it’s always fun to share a laugh over how odd co-star’s readings can be.
Incorporating activities into your facetime calls— paint nights, attempting a recipe together, playing an online game— can also be fun. My point is, sharing even small things can have a big impact on feeling closer to the people we just can’t be physically close to right now.
do not disturb zones
If you’re like me and currently quarantined with other humans right now, then listen up— do not disturb zones are your answer to not tearing each other’s throats out, haha! Although I am very thankful to be with my family right now, I’d be lying if I said every waking moment has been filled with puppies and roses. When you’re with the same people 24/7, tensions can quickly rise so it’s healthy to have periods during your day/week where everyone is able to do their own thing without (much) disturbance from others.
As I am writing this article at the kitchen table with noise-cancelling headphones on, my mom is working in her office, my brother is upstairs in his room, and my dad is messing around in the garage. This is pretty much our pattern from 9-5 on the weekdays, and it’s great because it means when we do eventually spend time together, fights are less likely because we’ve had that distance that we’re used to. So if you’re feeling like you’re butting heads with your partner/family/friend, try embracing more alone time— whether that be actual time alone or even time you use to call a friend in the privacy of your room. And if you’re in an opposite situation where you’re social distancing by yourself, schedule zoom calls with your loved ones who are quarantining with other people because I’m sure they’ll appreciate the break, haha!
How are you staying sane during this time? Let me know in the comments below. I’m sending lots of virtual hugs to you all! Xo — C.
