I probably don’t have to tell you that we are living through trying times. Life has been put on hold for all of us, some coping better than others. Quarantine is becoming our new temporary (hopefully) normal. I’ve chosen to spend my abundance of time watching “Project Runway” on Hulu, which you can get as a student bundle with Spotify and Showtime for $5 a month and first 3 months free here. In my time watching the show, I’ve picked up some nuggets of wisdom that I feel are greatly applicable to our predicament.
1. Make It Work
While not exactly what the show’s mantra originally meant, “making it work” in this case means making your adjustment into quarantine as smooth as possible. Use this time to take care of yourself, while also making it productive. This doesn’t necessarily mean “work,” however. Making productive use of your time can be creating a schedule for yourself to try and maintain some order. For example, I try to wake up before 9am and set aside 30 minutes for a walk around my neighborhood or local park.
You can try finishing that book that you always meant to finish but never got around to. You can rearrange your furniture to change your living space up a bit. You can sort through your clothes and put the ones you don’t want up for sale on sites like eBay or Poshmark to try and make a little money. The point is that these are all not useless tasks and you’d feel accomplished for completing them, as it will instill a sense of efficiency.
2. Get Creative
Just like when Tim Gunn enters the workroom and absolutely hates the cut of your dress, you’ve got to get creative. Where the contestants have limited time, you’ve got to get creative with your wealth of time.
My favorite pastimes while in quarantine have all been centered around me getting creative. As a plant lover, I had a ton of fun painting ceramic pots and creating little hanging planters out of them with some leftover twine, which came out looking something like this. I made some stunning macrame wall art with a stick I found in my backyard and some thick string with this tutorial. I revisited my limited drawing skills and sketched things I found in nature, which I found especially therapeutic. Loom knitting is an easy introduction to regular knitting and can be done while cuddled up on the couch with a good crime documentary.
If you don’t have any of these materials, there’s always getting creative in the kitchen. Try out a new recipe! I made a cherry pie and a family recipe for stuffed cabbage. You can check out some cool recipes here.
3. Foster Relationships, Even In Less Than Ideal Situations
On many extended reality TV shows, it’s not uncommon for the contestants to become close with one another. Remember to check in with your friends and family. Find ways to have fun remotely or while cooped up together. On a suggestion, I downloaded a Jackbox Party Game Pack and now my family loves it. Just remember that we can make a bad situation a little better when we don’t have to handle it all on our own.