A New Normal & Quarantine Self-Care

Yesterday marked 4 weeks of the new quarantine & social distancing norm for us in Chicago. What a very strange and uncertain month it has been, right?

I hope YOU are staying safe, healthy, & sane at home.

I’m going to be honest, I have been more active on Instagram Stories than anything else lately, because no photo or post I could share felt important enough to put out there, given all that is going on in the world.

I’ve realized now more than ever though it’s important to share joy and invest in community. We’re in this together.

So in this spirit, I thought being transparent about the good and the challenging of our new normal felt right. Sharing below, along with some of our favorite activities to ensure we stay mentally, spiritually, & physically healthy. Hope it brings you a new idea, or a laugh!!

One space for it all. // You can stand on one side of our apartment, and see the other end…haha shout out to life in the big city. We absolutely love our spot, that’s no secret! E & I started married life in this space, and now we’re going on 4 years here. I like being close, cozy, and able to fill every wall with places and people we love!

It’s really interesting though when that becomes the environment for every day, all day – it’s your lounge space, your gym, and your office. We’ve done a good job of shifting things around, but definitely getting our for short, safe walks helps keep us feel a change of scenery.

Enjoying a walk along empty Lake MI trails before they closed 2 wks ago. Hi, downtown.

Crushin’ on my new co-worker // “Are you going to speak on this call or are you just listening?”  One of E & I’s regular questions so we don’t disturb each other’s meetings. If we’re both presenting on calls at the same time, one of us definitely ends up standing in the kitchen so we don’t become background noise. That glam work-from-home life, right?

Even though work things can make our individual days stressful, getting to sit across from each other has brought sweet peace in this time of a lot of change.  Highly recommend helping your new co-workers (and yourself) ensure they’re taking stretch breaks, eating and pausing for an afternoon dance party when it’s been a packed day!

No make up, messy buns, and every t-shirt I own on rotation = new work uniform.

Disney binge, yes please! //  We always want to see those cute Disney Pixar films, but since we don’t have children right now, there’s typically something more priority on the list. Now we have time to watch allllll of the kiddo movies.

In the last week, we finally watched Toy Story 4, Lady & The Tramp (2019), Frozen II, and Onward on Disney+. I rarely cry in moves. I cried in all of these. Less so because of sad moments, but more so because there were some really beautiful ones and my heart was overwhelmed. HOW DO THEY DO THAT?

Self-Care Keeping Us Sane // A few must-do activities for us throughout the week to keep us healthy in all aspects –

• Work-Outs: The Peloton app currently saving my life – they have a 90-day free trial right now, if you aren’t a member. You don’t need a tread or a bike (though I wish I had one!). There are plenty of bodyweight only strength and cardio classes, as well as yoga. A mat is really the only necessary thing so you don’t hurt your back/butt/kneew! Getting a sweat in daily helps me feel strong and clear my head.

• Living in Faith: My train ride to work was the perfect time for prayer, a daily devotional, and worship music. While we haven’t been perfect at it, we’re not giving up in trying to be in the Word daily. I’m still starting my day off with worship tunes. We’re praying for our leaders, our community, our families, the healthcare workers on the front line, and more each evening. Keeping our time with Jesus consistent and constant is reminding us we are loved, we can trust in the Lord, and we can push for peace in all this uncertainty.
  • My favorite worship songs here!
  • The She Reads Truth Lent study I’m currently doing.

• Puzzles: Um, it felt like I had not done a puzzle in 100 years. I forgot how challenging these were – but again, awesome way for our brains to focus and relax at this same time. We were able to pick up one before stores shut down, but the extras we ordered online are understandably delayed. My mom told me about apps that let you do them digitally, so there’s a thought if you can’t physically get your hands on one.

Yes, those are magic black cats.

• Video Chats & Games: Isn’t it silly how it takes a pandemic to get us on daily video calls and play online board games, when that option was always there? It has been one of my favorite things to regularly happen during this time. Laughing really hard with my favorite people? Sign me up! A few apps/sites we’re using most:
  • Houseparty
  • Words With Friends 2
  • Horsepaste aka Codenames

• Baking: I got the love for baking from my mama! With more time to bake, it’s been fun to try new recipes from my favorite – Sally’s Baking Addiction. Baking is totally a form of therapy right in the kitchen. It’s nice to unplug from other distractions, focus on something I can control, and end up with a nice reward – usually cookies because they’re my favorite dessert.

What are some work-from-home or self-care tips you’ve rounded up during this time? Drop them below.

Thinking of you, friend. I know these times bring lots of change and uncertainty, but know you are not alone in navigating the new normal. Let’s stay connected and keep looking for the good!