To say the last two weeks of anyone’s life have been upside-down sounds like the start of a really bad joke.
Our reality has changed almost overnight, especially for college students, restaurant staffs, and families with younger children. For those individuals who fall into all of these categories, WHOA – I feel you and I’m sending all the good vibes your way (germ free, of course).
What we once considered a normal day, or heck, even a bad day, would be gladly welcomed at this point.
But this article isn’t about counting our losses (which has its time and place, especially in terms of healing) – as there is so much of that already. So, let’s take a break and count our blessings in disguise.
This might be a really radical idea. But what if we look at this period as a chance to create a new lifestyle for ourselves? We live in a society where we don’t have to worry about hauling water every day, churning butter, or milking cows by hand, so instead we worry about self-actualization goals – learning a new language, reading for pleasure, sustaining a healthy workout regimen. So, why not use this excessive amount of free time to rebuild our lives the way we want them to look? Set goals and actually put them into practice by creating new routines?
We often take stock of our lives and lifestyles when we set New Year’s Resolutions and tend to set lofty goals over champagne and streamers, only to wake up the next day, going about our days exactly the same. I still set New Year’s Resolutions, with high hopes of finally creating the life I want, but often with few tangible results.
This year, I decided I wanted to make my bed every day, regardless of what time I got up or if I was going to do something small and head right back to bed. I proudly can say I have only missed two days since 2020 started, and I realized I have been able to do this because I created a new routine and a new reality where my unmade bed bothers me A LOT.
The main portion of the idea of a life makeover came to me after I finished an at-home workout, based around a challenge my friends and I were completing (100 squats a day, but since I lose focus counting so high, I break it down into four parts and add exercises in between each set of 25). Keeping a healthy lifestyle is always a struggle for me because, as I realized tonight, I never have made it a part of my routine, like it was during high school and high school sports.
Then, as I was completing my nightly routine after my shower: acne medication, brush teeth, moisturizer, Vaseline for my chapped lips, and a recent addition–rose quartz face roller (to get out all the tension I hold in my jaw)–I realized I had made a small adjustment to my life in an already established routine quite easily.
And with my social media blowing up about quarantine routines (memed and not memed yet), it only made sense: I have all this time to create my own, new routine. The idea of what I was going to do with all my time has been making me beyond anxious, as I am SO bad at functioning without major structure. But everything I get to do, besides continuing to work (delivery drivers really do make the world go ‘round), was going to be in my complete, utter control.
So, what am I going to do? Oh, boy – I still have no idea. Maybe I’ll finally start a blog. Or finish the book collecting dust on my nightstand. Or actually clean clean my room. Maybe I’ll actually do my Duolingo exercises daily! Or learn how to cook more than PBJs and mac-n-cheese (I truly have the palate of a 4-year-old with a really mature taste in ice cream). At least, I hope to keep in touch with my friends, keep up with this squat challenge, and get up before 3 PM most days.
But what I do know is that this time we have been given is completely up to us. We get to create our new reality, almost from scratch. The world is falling apart and most of us (health care workers, you are truly amazing and ACTUALLY keep the world spinning) have been asked to stay home and wash our hands, and then wash our hands again. So why not use it in ways that bring us the most joy and feelings of accomplishment?