Life Lately & How To Stay Healthy During Quarantine

*Originally published 5/22/20

Happy Friday! Is it Friday? The days all seem to blend together during quarantine, don’t they? The past few months have certainly been an adjustment, so I thought I’d check in, see how you’re doing, and let you know what I’m doing to stay physically and mentally healthy during the pandemic.

I got laid off about 10 weeks ago now, and it has been quite an emotional rollercoaster! Not only did I suddenly not have work to occupy my time and give me a sense of purpose, over the past 10 weeks we’ve had to cancel our bachelor and bachelorette parties, my bridal shower (we ended up doing virtual parties for both of those, which was actually a lot of fun!), our honeymoon, and we eventually decided to postpone our wedding reception. I don’t think I’ve ever “grieved” an event before, but I definitely spent some time grieving our wedding. I was really down for about a week, and shed quite a few tears. It was really hard to come to terms with the fact that we spent a year and half planning the perfect day only to have to change everything at the last minute. I know there are many people going through big life events right now, and I just want to make sure you know it’s okay if you’re not okay! I had so many people telling me all of the positive things in my life that I should be focused on, and what a good story we were going to be able to tell our children some day. I knew people were trying to be helpful, but at the time, it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. 

I’m happy to say that after one week of sadness, I was back to my normal self, and by the time we actually made the decision to postpone the wedding reception, I was able to be excited about our new plan. Today, we’re 15 days away from what will now be a small ceremony with just 10 guests, and while it’s not going to be the wedding we’ve envisioned for the last year and a half, at the end of the day I’m going to be married to my best friend, and I couldn’t be more excited about that!

I’m also happy to report that all of those people that were pointing out all of the good things that were going on in my life were right, I have a lot to be thankful for! We are financially stable enough that we don’t have to worry about rent, bills, groceries, etc. We’re both healthy, and so are our families. We’ll be moving after the wedding to a house right down the street from my sister, brother-in-law, and new niece or nephew! And, we still like each other after spending every hour together for the past 10 weeks!

How has the quarantine been for you? Have you had any major life events impacted by the stay at home orders? Have you been taking care of yourself? Are you busier now trying to home-school your kids and also work from home? There are plenty of new stressors in life right now, and a lot of adjusting to do, so I wanted to share some tips on how to keep yourself going.

Here’s what I’ve been doing to stay healthy the past 10 weeks:

-Being active

        I’m always active- I usually workout 5-6 days a week, but during this quarantine period, I’ve been looking forward to my workouts even more. It’s nice having something on my “schedule” every day so that I’m not just wandering around the house trying to find things to keep me busy. If you don’t currently have a consistent exercise routine, I highly recommend trying to start. Even if it’s just 20 minutes a few days a week, the mental and physical benefits you’ll get from it are so worth it! I’ve also been making a point of getting outside and going for a walk every day, even if the weather isn’t ideal. The fresh air and time outside of the house has been really helpful! 

-Cutting myself some slack

        My diet hasn’t changed much (still heavy on the veggies!), but I’ve definitely noticed that I’ve had the urge to bake more, and have been enjoying a beer or a glass of wine more often than I normally would. I keep having to remind myself that if I have a slice of banana bread or a cookie I baked with healthful, nourishing ingredients, or if I have a few drinks while I watch a virtual concert with my fiance, it’s not going to counteract all of the good stuff I eat 90% of the time. It’s important to give yourself some grace, and remember that if something is good for your mental health, it’s okay if it’s not the best thing for your physical health.

-Connecting with family and friends

        Thank goodness we live in a world with technology, right? I’ve spent more time actually talking to people during this time than I had in awhile, and it’s been really nice. Although I would prefer to see people in real life, the weekly Zoom sessions with my family, occasionally virtual happy hours with friends, and generally just talking on the phone with people rather than texting or emailing has been refreshing. I’m hoping these are things that stick with us when things go back to normal!

-Taking time to relax

        I’ve been reading, scrapbooking, and sometimes just sitting with my thoughts. It’s been nice to have the time to do things that I love without feeling like there’s something else I need to be doing instead. I’m aware that this is definitely a luxury, as many are still working, or trying to work from home and also be a teacher to their children, so I am not taking it for granted! 

Have you picked up any new habits during quarantine? Do you need help sticking to a healthy diet while staying home? Do you need someone to hold you accountable so you can achieve your goals? Sign up for your free consultation today to see how I can help!