Hi babes – I haven’t posted a ‘real talk’ in a while and I feel like now more than ever it makes sense to do one with all this Coronavirus craziness. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t really get the big deal with it at first and was pretty ignorant as to why it was so important to take these dramatic measures. I mean social distancing, closing public places, putting out travel bans, people being out of jobs and everything else going on is obviously not ideal – it sucks. But, I think it’s good that we are overreacting and trying to be proactive in order to keep up with the virus.

how to stay sane while social distancing

I’ve had my fair share of experience with social distancing and wanted to talk about the isolation aspect to all of this because it can become f*cking depressing. I’ve never really talked about this before, but when I had my accident and was in recovery, I remember dealing with the same feelings a lot of us are dealing with now. My circumstances were much different and it was a personal issue, but going out and socializing at the time was hard. Trying to be that person in a wheelchair out at the bar is miserable. People would stare and make drunk asshole comments and I always felt like a burden to whoever had to wheel me around and get me home. I stopped wanting to go places and started to stay in most of the time. I was lucky to have supportive friends and family who were really there for me, but it was still very lonely at times and depressing, especially being 23 years old, while I watched my friends living their lives post-grad, dating, partying, traveling and building their careers.

Not working during my recovery was really hard – which might sound nice to some of you lazy asses (jk  but not really because I hate lazy people), but I am someone who needs to always be doing something, so it was not an easy time for me.  Now with everything happening,  I really feel for the people who are currently out of work and not only because of the financial stress, but mentally, it can be really hard. After my accident, I took about six months off from the place I used to work. During that time I had such a loss of purpose. It really f*cks with you not waking up each day with something to do, a place to go or people to interact with.  I felt like I had no reason to get out of bed unless my physical therapist was coming over to work with me. At the time, it was hard to leave my apartment since I wasn’t fully walking again and my energy was low. I didn’t really have anywhere to go or people to hang out with since most people were at work. I spent a few weeks in a dark depression, not knowing what to do with my life anymore. But quickly I realized I just survived the most gnarly accident and I was such a badass for it, that I needed to do something more with my time. I was truly so lucky to be alive after my accident and couldn’t waste my days anymore. I gave myself a new routine and put myself on a schedule. Every morning I got up did my PT exercises, made my morning smoothie while listening to a podcast to motivate and inspire me. I practiced meditation, did face masks and little things to help better me in all aspects of my life.

It was during this time I decided I would start this blog (no clue that about a year later it would allow for me to quit my 9-5 desk job and pursue things I was truly passionate about while living my life on my own terms). Blogging was something I always had thought about doing but fear and lack of time had been my excuses. I had no excuses anymore and decided it was time to give it a try even though I had no idea what I was doing. It was also my way of connecting with people since I felt so alone at the time – I’ve built so many amazing relationships through social media that have led me to opportunities I never knew existed.  SO pretty much, if you’re out of work at this time and feeling down, I feel for you. But, pick yourself up and figure out a way to get through this.  Use this  time to grind at your dreams and follow a passion you’ve always thought about doing. 

It will give you a new sense of purpose and help keep you from feeling down from all this isolation. Social distancing can make some of us feel anxious, depressed and just bored as f*ck, so I’ve made a list of other *productive* things to do while stuck at home.

 1. take an online course + learn a new skill or hobby

like i mentioned, during my time off of work,  i did a lot of online research on blogs until i figured out how to create one and get it going.   it’s a good time to work towards something you’ve always wanted to try and start a side hustle

2. at-home workouts + focus on your health

now is a great time to finally get back into a good workout routine. there are so many at-home resources to use. i’ll make a blog post with some of my fave ones, but my go-to is using mini bands and ankle weights  and doing a Tone It Up workout video or sign up for ClassPass and get two weeks free – they have lots of videos + you can rollover unused credits for when going to IRL workout classes is OK again

3. start a new book or listen to podcasts

there are so many books on my list right now and i’m excited to have some time alone to get started on them. if you don’t feel like reading, listen to a podcast while you do something else, like working out or cleaning (love multitasking, duh).  my go-to podcasts: the skinny confidential, how i built this, tim ferris, school of greatness, what we said

4. catch up with loved ones (call, text or facetime)

reach out to the person you’ve been thinking about but haven’t had time to call or text, check in with family and friends and just spread a little extra love during this time

5. practice self-care daily

self-care is different for everyone, but it is so important to find a way to take time for yourself and feel good. for me it’s face masks, reading and meditation, but do whatever works for you

6. spring cleaning

use this time to get organized and de-clutter your house. whenever i clean out my closet or just organize my bathroom, i always feel better, refreshed and more productive

Other tips:

• keep yourself on a schedule + give yourself a routine
• take breaks + get fresh air
• get ready and dressed each day to put you in a better + more productive mindset

++  need some outfit inspo for staying in and working from home? check this post out