The Introvert’s Guide to Surviving Social Distancing

Hello, beautiful people! I hope you’re healthy and as happy as you can be given the circumstances. As news floods in and the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise, your “normal” way of living has likely been significantly disrupted. Many companies have issued sweeping work from home mandates to help flatten the curve and minimize the spread of this outbreak. Several cities have issued “Shelter-in-place” orders, mine included, which effectively require you to stay at home unless you are going to and from an essential service like the grocery store, bank, doctor or gas station.  The mandate is clear: STAY HOME!

Do you hear that? That sound in the distance is the scream of agony from extroverts everywhere! 🤣

As an introvert who has been working from home since 2012, I’m a pro at social distancing. The biggest changes in my daily routine have been no more traveling (sigh), no group yoga & I’m missing the occasional visits from close friends and loved ones. While this new normal takes adjustment, I’ve learned that life will throw us all sorts of curveballs, and I’ve become very adept at going with the flow of wherever the universe leads. Right now, the universe has called for us to BE STILL and SLOW DOWN. Coronavirus is unlike anything most of us have seen in our lifetimes. It’s moving quickly and it’s scary. However, so much of this is outside of our control and we all have to make our peace with that. After winning my battle with anxiety and PTSD, I’ve learned I cannot become fixated on things outside my realm of control. It’s a sure-fire way to drive yourself crazy.

So how do you cope when life feels so out of control and the world feels a little scarier than it did before? 

You pivot and focus on what you CAN control. You establish a new normal and use this downtime to do all the things you were once too busy to do. Instead of focusing on all of the activities that you can’t do right now, choose to focus on all the things you CAN do with this newfound free time. The universe just hit a collective PAUSE on all of our external distractions. This is a great opportunity to level up your mind, your body, your soul and your home! If you choose to maximize this downtime, you may find that you are much better off post-coronavirus than ever before.

Here are 10 things you can do to make the most of this collective downtime: 

1. Reclaim your health & wellness: Just because we can’t go to the gym, doesn’t mean we have to let our fitness goals go! For those of you who haven’t exercised in a while because life was “too busy”, your calendar just freed up! Spend time walking outdoors, run/jog, practice yoga, join a virtual workout on Youtube or other platforms. Do air squats & jumping jacks between conference calls. No matter what you choose, just keep moving! Vow to come out of lockdown in better shape than you started! Exercise is going to be a MAJOR KEY to keeping the heavier and more depressive energy at bay during this lockdown. Check out these free virtual classes from Core Power Yoga!

2. Organize and declutter your home: Our home is a reflection of our psyche. If you’ve been living in clutter for longer than you care to admit, take this time to improve your surroundings to help improve your mood. If your home doesn’t bring you peace, being on lockdown is only going to amplify that energy. Use this time to beautify, rearrange and organize your home. Purge old clothes, products, and junk you no longer need. Make sure everything has a place and your home is neat & clean. Marie Kondo the heck out of that place!

   

3. Focus on your personal and professional development: There are great online resources that you can use to spend time getting better during the quarantine. Instead of Netflix ‘n snacking yourself to death, turn on a video that will help you tap into a better version of yourself. Youtube has tons of free content from professional development gurus. You can also checkout Mindvalley for a lot of free and paid masterclasses by some of the best in the business!
4. Spend time in nature: Even with more restrictions, many places still allow you to go to the parks and trails (if you practice social distancing). Now is a great time to reconnect with your inner child who loved to play outside. Go hiking, go fishing, have a picnic by a local lake, ride your bike on the trails, or just read under a tree. Nature has a way of restoring us in ways that our modern life never could. I’ve been hitting the trails twice a day every day, and it’s been amazing seeing so many people out and about with their families just enjoying the scenery.

   

5. Pick up a hobby or reignite an old one: Adulting has a way of getting in the way of many of the things that once brought us joy. Work, family, bills and other responsibilities leave little room for creative pursuits. Write, dance, paint, draw, craft… Take this time to pour into whatever creative projects bring you joy and allow you to be in the zone for a while. Who knows? This hobby may prove profitable during this transition period.
6. Read: Reading has a lot of health benefits for your mind and body. However, after many years of forced reading in school, many have abandoned ship for easier ways to consume information. Take this time to crack open those books gaining dust on your shelves. Reading has been shown to reduce stress, fight depression symptoms, improve brain connectivity, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and aids in sleep readiness in addition to all of the knowledge you gain in the process. 
7. Have a virtual meetup with your friends & family: Human connection is important during this time, especially if you live alone. Get creative! My friends and I have done Zoom video hangouts, Facetime and WhatsApp to stay connected during this time.
8. Unlock your inner chef: Being in quarantine has put a kibosh on  dining out. Having to cook more at home gives us all the opportunity to up our game in the kitchen. If you’re in a rut on what to cook, consider trying a meal kit delivery service like Home Chef to get new recipe inspiration with all the ingredients you need delivered at your doorstep! This is a great way to bond with your significant other or kids. Use my coupon code for $35 off your first meal kit!
   

   

           Salmon Rockefeller with roasted red pepper green beans and potatoes from Home Chef

9. Take up gardening: One of the things I missed when I moved uptown was the vegetable garden that I had in my old backyard. Since I haven’t been traveling, I have now started my urban garden using pots on my balcony and rooftop. I am growing 3 herbs (parsley, basil & mint), green onions, peppers and will soon start tomatoes! Gardening is relaxing, the food tastes great and you know exactly where it came from. You can plant food from stuff already in your kitchen! I grow my green onions (scallions) by repurposing the root tips from store-bought scallions and replant them over and over again! This is a great activity for kids at home!
10. Grow deeper spiritually: I have used this period of stillness to spend even more time meditating, reflecting, journaling and connecting with my higher self. Right before the quarantine, I was in LA for the Mindvalley Live conference where I was surrounded by nearly 1000 people who are on a path of deep spirituality and personal growth. I am now using this downtime to incorporate what I’ve learned, participate in virtual meditation circles and cultivate a deep sense of oneness.

I’m wishing you all great mental, physical and spiritual health during this challenging time. I am sending you and your family loving & protective energy and hope that you find your stride and adapt to life in quarantine. If you’re struggling right now, know that we are all in this together. If you have the means to help those who are struggling, now is a great time to step up and help. If coronavirus has shown us anything, it made clear just how connected we all are. We can all do our part to spread more goodness during these stressful times.

Love & light… 💛