Five things I do each day during COVID-19
Isolation taught me how to make the most of my day
So, I’ll get right down to it. There are five things I started doing (or used to do, that I brought back) that have not only changed the way my self-isolation is going, but that have changed my overall lifestyle in amazing ways. And they’re suuuuuuper simple.
Self-isolation was, at the beginning, a confusing time. I realized that a lot of my routine has been shaped around where I was going out in the world, and when there was suddenly nowhere to go, I had to find new ground.
Now, here are the crucial, simple things I do each day for emotional, mental, and physical well-being:
1. Get in the sunlight — immediately
When our skin registers the sun, our bodies receive information to wake up. At the beginning of isolation, I would start my day without even going outside — still in a mindset of being sort of trapped — and I had no idea why my energy was so low. I then made it a non-negotiable to start my day with sunlight, whether that be going for a run, or simply stepping outside for a moment to get the sun on my face.
2. Meditate, and journal right afterwards
Meditating is a time to connect to your inner genius — so keep a notebook handy to record your insights. I also do this right before bed as a “brain dump” to see what my mind needs to empty itself of before I can sleep peacefully. This is a great time to process the day, process current goings-on, make sense of things when the noise of the day has passed, and receive new great ideas.
3. Keep intake of fruits and vegetables high
When the coronavirus became a serious concern, the first thing to disappear was toilet paper. Now when I go to the grocery store, all of the canned foods are gone.
The thing is, fresh fruits and vegetables are not only exactly what our immune systems need in times of illness, but they’re also the healthiest foods in general — and it’s important to keep our bodies feeling vital and healthy in times that we’re being flooding with bad news.
4. Drink 3L of water throughout the day
For me, there is an emotional reason for this as well as a physical one. While water literally keeps you hydrated and flushes toxins out of the body, I also use it to wash away the emotional toxins that intrude my space on the daily. I set the intention that I am keeping my body clear of unwanted intrusions of negativity. Setting this intention feels just as powerful for me as if someone told me it was a real, proven phenomenon. (It’s totally not, but it’s my intention, and I’m sticking with it.)
5. Get upside down
I imagine we’re all doing a lot more sitting than usual — which means our blood flow is predominantly flowing from the top-down. Switch it up and let your blood circulate in new ways; do a downward dog, a hand-stand against the wall, a forward fold, or lie against the wall with your legs and feet resting against the wall. The point is — don’t just sit and stand. Get your blood flow working its way through your body in new ways.
Again, intention is a powerful thing. The mental component of getting upside down, for me, is that I am allowing myself to see things from a new perspective. You can set your own intention.
The common denominator…
The common denominator in all of these actions is that they involve you. Not the outer world, not the news, not the theories about the source of COVID-19, but you. You are your foundation, the ground up from which your life gets built. When the rest of the world is shaky and it feels like there is very little to stand on, there’s always you.
