Throughout the last three weeks the world as we knew it was flipped upside down. Just three weeks ago I was sitting in class at my beautiful campus until BAM…we were ordered to stay inside. Personally, I have never experienced being only inside for more than two or three days max, and my active body has not known how to cope being stuck inside. Growing up in Southern California, being outside has always been a huge part of my life. Experiencing a quarantine is something that we as a community will remember forever. It’s a time to remember that our actions had such a major impact on the world. I have never really been a home body, although I know most are, and this has been a major transition for me. With that being said, I feel extremely lucky. Lucky to have a roof over my head, and food on the table. It is truly something to witness the entire world do the simple task of staying inside to prevent such a deathly illness from breaking out, more than it already has, to protect our elders and the immune suppressed. What we are experiencing will go down in history, and your only task as a good citizen is to stay inside. However, it is perfectly okay if you are going absolutely nuts and are unsure of your current mental state! I’m there with you. I’m going to share with you one very simple step that has improved my quarantine and it is going to sound silly. Two words: Avocado Toast.
Now I know what you’re thinking. It is absolutely absurd to tell you that avocado toast is going to make this horrible situation any better for you. Whether you or a loved one is sick, or you’re forced to miss out on activities you’ve had planned for years, or maybe your graduation being postponed, I’m sure you are thinking that there is no way that avocado toast is going to change that. Personally for me it has, and let me explain why. As I have been stuck inside the last couple of weeks, I have really experimented with new recipes, but I have to be honest cooking is just not my favorite activity. So instead of cooking, I turned to snacking! I am sure most of you can relate. The problem for me is the constant snacking was ruining my sleep schedule, my workout schedule, and my eating schedule. I knew I needed to return to some type of routine. Routine is healthy, even in a time where routines seem so unlikely. My advice is to choose a routine in this quarantine, and stick to it. For me it has been avocado toast. I look forward to making my avocado toast every single morning, and from there on out my day is very much more scheduled. I don’t snack as often because I look forward to having my next meal. I now have the same amount of energy every day after eating my breakfast and it has been leading me to being more active. Routine, routine, routine, that is my advice. This is a time in our life where you might have no desire to stay in a routine, because really, what is the point. However, I promise you it will make you feel a million times better.
Maybe you hate avocados, then what do you do? The point of this article is absolutely not to tell you you must eat avocado toast to improve your quarantine, or your mental health. That would be ridiculous. The point IS, however, that you should try to pick one thing that you look forward to every single day. Perhaps something that wakes you up in the morning like maybe a walk, or a song to listen to, or a morning stretching video. Or maybe soemthing you look forward to for bed time. Maybe try watching ONLY one episode of a bingeworthy show every night before bed and then turn it off. Get into a routine. Try your hardest to have self control in these troubling times, it is a great test for yourself and for your body! FInd something that makes you joyful, and try to do this every single day. I know you can do this and I am here with you! Some days are going to be harder than others, and some days I might despise avocado toast (although highly unlikely) and that is perfectly fine. Try your best to incorporate one common activity every day, even something simple like making avocado toast, and I promise you it will make a world of a difference.
Before I leave I have to include the thing you’re all waiting for, which is my avocado toast recipe.
The best part about avocado toast is you can experiement it in so many different ways, and each time it will taste amazing. All I use for this recipe is one piece of toast, 1/4 of an avocado, 1 egg, and some seasoning.
1. Boil a small pot of water
2. Place one piece of your favorite bread in the toaster
3. Once the water is boiling, take a spoon and swirl the water around like a big whirpool. While the water is spinning, crack the egg into the water. This is going to be your poached egg!
4. Spread 1/4 of an avocado over the toast and add maybe a smidge of olive oil
5. Remove the egg and add it to the toast. A poached egg is the perfect ratio of yolk to egg white.
6. Add any seasonings! This is where you can get creative. My favorites are lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, and Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.
(I often add both tomatoes, and cucumber to my toast bur everyday is different! You can add oil, vinegar, cherry tomatoes and feta. The options are endless!)
Get in a routine, it will help your mind and your body!