Making The Most Out Of The Quarantine
It is without question that every single one of us has been impacted by the COVID-19 virus that is sweeping the globe. Hopefully you are one of the lucky ones and it has only affected the schedule. Some people have already been laid off or have uncertainty going forward; even worse, some have contracted the virus or are close to someone that has. My thoughts and condolences go out to all of those people.
I am one of the lucky ones that have only been inconvenienced by the virus and quarantine. My weekly routine of training, grocery shopping, and general family activities has come to a pause. Even more inconvenient, the grand opening of my gym has been pushed back. I’m grateful to have a landlord that is understanding in this time and is working with me to still allow me to open my doors (eventually!).
These inconveniences are very minor in what some other people are going through, so this extended time at home shouldn’t be spent constantly snacking on processed food and drinking like on vacation; or spend scrolling FaceSpace reading every pseuodo expert’s opinion on the virus/economy/politics/etc; or spent trying to watch every Netflix series and never leaving the couch. There is an opportunity in this time away from work and social life to work on myself and habits that need to be addressed, but always had the “I’m too busy” excuse to halt it. Well here is the ‘smack in the face’ stop sign we were all waiting for. Time to get better.
Putting Limits on Phone Time: I’m as guilty as the next person of scrolling through social media while bored. Whether it’s to fulfill a social need, keep up on current news (facebook is not a new site), or hate like other people’s awesome adventures, it’s rarely productive and never leaves me with real positive feelings. Don’t let this time off work pull you deeper into the fake world of the internet. Keep the phone on silent and put away during hours that you would typically be working; don’t add more screen hours than you normally would. You can also download an app that tracks how many times you open your screen or time spent on the phone. These apps will open your eyes to how much time you could be spending on more productive, fulfilling activities.
Reset Your Schedule: The hustle and bustle of the workweek and the addition to having a social life on the weekend can often throw off a sleep schedule. Having extended time off for most means sleeping in to “catch up” on sleep. Unfortunately, this does not work and the end result is still being tired. There are no sports or weekend events, so try to get to bed at the time you should be in bed. Set the alarm and wake up at the time you should be waking. Having a good sleep schedule that follows the sun will boost recovery hormones, like growth hormone, and will give more energy during the day which will assist in achieving fitness goals as well. When it comes to sleep more is not better, better is better. Go to sleep without blue light (tv and phones) at a decent hour and wake up before the sun rises to take advantage of the natural boost in energy and recovery. (Having more intimate time with your partner will also boost hormone production.)
Smaller Menu, Better Execution: Being highly motivated is a great thing, but trying to do too much at once often leads to the same result of not being motivated at all- NOTHING. Having extra time away from work opens the door to accomplishing some tasks that were put off, but be careful about trying to do everything before regular life returns. Pick a few important tasks and execute them completely and effectively, then move on to the next task. This applies to fitness at home as well. Don’t try and do every home workout video that every online coach is putting out there (….I still haven’t released mine). Pick one program, or a small list of exercises that you need to get better at, and execute it perfectly. At the end of this quarantine, you may not have done everything you wanted, but you will have actually completed the ones that needed to get done.
Read: In an age that we are drowning in information, we are still starving for knowledge. True learning doesn’t happen through a comments section of social media or from a biased news outlet. Grab a damn book, turn off all distractions, and read it! I can’t emphasize enough the importance for the mind to learn something new, to imagine a fantasy world, to commit to a long novel that can’t be binged in a night, or even to just exercise the eye muscles on something besides a screen. I don’t care what you type of book you read, just read something. Amazon is still delivering, but chances are you have a book sitting on the shelf you’ve been meaning to get to, so here’s the kick in the ass. Read it!
Get Closer to the People That Matter: This is the most obvious point, but the one I need to hear the most. Everything going on in the world and the uncertainty of what happens after is stressful to think about. We all know the repercussions of what may happen next, but children don’t. All they know is that they are off school for a while and get to spend more time with you. Try to disconnect with what’s happening in the outside world and connect to your child’s life more. Talk to them. Play games with them. Cuddle while watching a movie. Love them more! I promise things will go back to normal soon enough and they will be pulled back to school and sports and everything else that takes away from family time. Make more out of this time, because we may never get another opportunity again.
I may just be the eternal optimist, but turn these ‘negatives’ into real positives. I’m not stuck at home, I get to be home with my family. My job is in jeopardy, or I have some time to rethink my career. I’m scared to get sick, or I’m going to take more measures to be healthy. You get to chose how to spend this time. Make it valuable.