Born and raised in NYC, Kit Keenan is a 20-year-old college student currently in her junior year at NYU. She is best known on Instagram as @kitkeenan for her fitness and wellness content, and you can often find her posting workout videos and sharing healthy (but yummy) recipes. A video she recently posted begins with her in runway-ready tops and blouses; if you only watch the first few seconds, you’d probably think this is just a clothing try-on haul by Cynthia Rowley’s daughter. You’d miss the part where she moves away from the camera to reveal her choice of bottoms – sweatpants. Playfully laughing at the end of the reveal, Kit demonstrates her humble nature and reminds us of the importance of having perspective. This message is imperative now more than ever, especially during a time when things can feel incredibly overwhelming if you have a negative perspective. Here are some of Kit’s insights into how she’s handling COVID-19 and her advice on how you can work from home effectively:
- Can you tell us about your personal brand?
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“About a year ago, I began to really think about my purpose online. While posting photos of myself was a great way to receive personal validation, I realized I wasn’t building towards anything or connecting with my followers in any meaningful way. I started incorporating wellness advice into my feed, as health and fitness are such big parts of my life offline. My mom, Cynthia Rowley, and I host a podcast called “Ageless,” which is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We discuss the concept of agelessness in life and career through the lens of our own mother-daughter relationship.”
- What does your day-to-day schedule usually look like?
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“Now that we are all working from home, my schedule has changed a bit. I still have synchronous NYU classes on Zoom on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The rest of the time is mostly spent developing workouts, shooting for brand partnerships, podcasting, or cooking!”
- What does your day-to-day schedule look like now that you’re working from home all the time?
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“My day-to-day schedule hasn’t changed very much since my shift to fully working at home, but I have to really make sure to prioritize school work and class meetings even though I am not physically in the classroom.”
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How have you been handling self-quarantine?
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“I am a huge proponent of to-do lists, and something I have added to the top of mine through all of this is gratitude affirmations. It has been so healing to wake up every morning and ground myself with the things I can count on to make me happy. These are big things like my family, my health, and my community, all the way down to smaller moments like making my espresso in the morning, having a good 30-minute at-home sweat, or cooking dinner with my mom.”
- Do you have any tips on how to work from home effectively?
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“Take breaks! I am most productive when I break up my work into 60-90 minute intervals with walk/yoga/stretch breaks in between. It’s so important to continuously refresh your brain and gain motivation while getting through hours of work.”
- Anything else you’d like to share?
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“My DMs are always open; I know this is a really tough time for many of us. Our lives are in danger, our livelihoods have been shifted, and many of us are questioning where our careers stand overall. I am here for you. Please reach out if you want to just chat or need a shoulder to virtually cry on.”
Thanks again, Kit, for kindly sharing your thoughts with us here on Her Campus.
If you’d like to help support small businesses and send meals to healthcare workers on the front line fighting against COVID-19 in NYC, please consider donating to this GoFundMe. Donations of any size are always appreciated.