Facing quarantine head on: The Quarantine Plan
So in my last post I was really feeling the effects of the pandemic and was terrified of the impact it would have on my mental health. Since then the best thing happened - the sun came out.
For the first time since last September, the sun is shining, it's warm enough to wear slightly lighter clothes and it's dry!!
This has picked my mood up so much which allowed me to see things a bit better, I've shut off any negative thought I have about self isolation and ensuring I'm looking at it as an opportunity to get lots of stuff done, pick up running again, get stuck into writing and spending time with family.
So last night, when I came home from what (should be) my last day at work for the unforeseeable future, I went for a run and decided to create my Quarantine Plan.
This is a little list I've made in a notebook on all the things I'm hoping to achieve throughout my self isolation. This is going to give me things to do to keep my self care and mood accounted for, but also to cross some things off of my 'to do lists', as well as some boredom buster things so I've always got something to do.
I'm seeing The Quarantine Plan as a project, and there's nothing I love more than a good project, and I will be crossing things off as I go along in daily journal spreads so I can visually see the accomplishments I'm making as we go through.
I think this is a really good idea, as it gives a sense of purpose to my days, and will ensure I don't wear the same pjs for 10 days, unwashed, and rotting in my bed with season 10 of some Netflix show playing surrounded by mugs of half drunken tea and old plates of food.
So, here's what I've got planned for my quarantine, I feel like it might be a bit lame to say I've made a quarantine bucket list, but this is definitely a quarantine bucket list.
- Keep/create a routine. Having a routine is important to me, making that first step of getting out of bed and ready for the day will change the whole outcome of how productive my days are so I'll be setting an alarm every day and making sure I'm having a morning routine.
- Workout. I'm planning on going for a run everyday so I can still breathe some fresh air and get my endorphins going, I'm not putting too much pressure on wanting to lose weight, it's more about me trying to stay healthy and with a clear head.
- Skincare. I'm so obsessed with skin care and since wearing makeup everyday for work now my skin is really paying for it. So I'm setting myself the challenge of trying to clear my skin up over the next few weeks.
- Write/blog. Writing is so cathartic and essential for me and I've been neglecting it for a while now. So I'm going to keep up with my writing and bosh out more blog posts because I've missed it!
- Read more. Reading was a big goal for me this year and I've only finished one book so far, hoping to get through a lot more now, because my 'to be read pile' is growing so much.
- Do at least one big "cleaning" job a week. I'm aiming more for two, doing things like cleaning windows, organising wardrobes and clutter drawers. It is spring cleaning season.
- Spend lots of time with family. I'm stuck in with my brother and mum, and it's only day one, me and my brother have had three arguments so far. I'd like to bond more over this rather than drive each other insane.
- Find new, interesting things to do to pass the time. I want to do things I haven't done in ages, something other than Netflix and writing, just to mix things up and keep me from being bored.
- Check up on friends and don't get caught up in ghosting people because I'm isolating. I'm so bad for being by myself and just not replying to people, I leave people hanging for days or even weeks at times and in times like these I really need to be more present with friends.
- Don't put pressure on yourself!!!! At first, before quarantine had even started I was overcomplicating things and stressing myself out over the thought that I absolutely needed to utilise every second of my days and get things done and lose weight and be super productive. That backfired on me and the stress made me meltdown and cocoon myself instead. Instead I'm taking a chill approach to it all, seeing it as an opportunity to get things done rather than needing to accomplish as much as I can, and not beating myself up if I don't get much done.
We also need to look at this as an opportunity to rest up too. I haven't had a proper day off where I spent the day just relaxing since starting my new job in December. That's four months without having a hardcore do-nothing-me-day, so it's okay to sit in pjs all day and watch Netflix just as much as it is to go for runs and clean the house top to bottom. There's no pressure and no right way to do this quarantine thing.
So that's The Quarantine Plan.
Happy quarantining, stay inside!!
Shan
For the first time since last September, the sun is shining, it's warm enough to wear slightly lighter clothes and it's dry!!
This has picked my mood up so much which allowed me to see things a bit better, I've shut off any negative thought I have about self isolation and ensuring I'm looking at it as an opportunity to get lots of stuff done, pick up running again, get stuck into writing and spending time with family.
So last night, when I came home from what (should be) my last day at work for the unforeseeable future, I went for a run and decided to create my Quarantine Plan.
This is a little list I've made in a notebook on all the things I'm hoping to achieve throughout my self isolation. This is going to give me things to do to keep my self care and mood accounted for, but also to cross some things off of my 'to do lists', as well as some boredom buster things so I've always got something to do.
I'm seeing The Quarantine Plan as a project, and there's nothing I love more than a good project, and I will be crossing things off as I go along in daily journal spreads so I can visually see the accomplishments I'm making as we go through.
I think this is a really good idea, as it gives a sense of purpose to my days, and will ensure I don't wear the same pjs for 10 days, unwashed, and rotting in my bed with season 10 of some Netflix show playing surrounded by mugs of half drunken tea and old plates of food.
So, here's what I've got planned for my quarantine, I feel like it might be a bit lame to say I've made a quarantine bucket list, but this is definitely a quarantine bucket list.
- Keep/create a routine. Having a routine is important to me, making that first step of getting out of bed and ready for the day will change the whole outcome of how productive my days are so I'll be setting an alarm every day and making sure I'm having a morning routine.
- Workout. I'm planning on going for a run everyday so I can still breathe some fresh air and get my endorphins going, I'm not putting too much pressure on wanting to lose weight, it's more about me trying to stay healthy and with a clear head.
- Skincare. I'm so obsessed with skin care and since wearing makeup everyday for work now my skin is really paying for it. So I'm setting myself the challenge of trying to clear my skin up over the next few weeks.
- Write/blog. Writing is so cathartic and essential for me and I've been neglecting it for a while now. So I'm going to keep up with my writing and bosh out more blog posts because I've missed it!
- Read more. Reading was a big goal for me this year and I've only finished one book so far, hoping to get through a lot more now, because my 'to be read pile' is growing so much.
- Do at least one big "cleaning" job a week. I'm aiming more for two, doing things like cleaning windows, organising wardrobes and clutter drawers. It is spring cleaning season.
- Spend lots of time with family. I'm stuck in with my brother and mum, and it's only day one, me and my brother have had three arguments so far. I'd like to bond more over this rather than drive each other insane.
- Find new, interesting things to do to pass the time. I want to do things I haven't done in ages, something other than Netflix and writing, just to mix things up and keep me from being bored.
- Check up on friends and don't get caught up in ghosting people because I'm isolating. I'm so bad for being by myself and just not replying to people, I leave people hanging for days or even weeks at times and in times like these I really need to be more present with friends.
- Don't put pressure on yourself!!!! At first, before quarantine had even started I was overcomplicating things and stressing myself out over the thought that I absolutely needed to utilise every second of my days and get things done and lose weight and be super productive. That backfired on me and the stress made me meltdown and cocoon myself instead. Instead I'm taking a chill approach to it all, seeing it as an opportunity to get things done rather than needing to accomplish as much as I can, and not beating myself up if I don't get much done.
We also need to look at this as an opportunity to rest up too. I haven't had a proper day off where I spent the day just relaxing since starting my new job in December. That's four months without having a hardcore do-nothing-me-day, so it's okay to sit in pjs all day and watch Netflix just as much as it is to go for runs and clean the house top to bottom. There's no pressure and no right way to do this quarantine thing.
So that's The Quarantine Plan.
Happy quarantining, stay inside!!
Shan
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