March 2020: Coping during Covid-19
Life has changed drastically for each and every one of us in the last 3 weeks. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. The first week went in the blink of an eye. I was trying to get into the swing of working from home and taking all of my calls and meetings virtually (thank God for Zoom!). I also deep cleaned our entire apartment more than once, did all of our laundry, washed our sheets and blankets, reorganized my closet, switched out my summer and winter clothes, and took about 10 workout classes. By the weekend, I was exhausted, but I was feeling thankful to be honest. I was spending so much quality time with my husband, which I never get to do as he usually works very late every night. But now we were cooking together, and actually sitting down to eat dinner at the dining room table with no phones or distractions. I’m a homebody by nature, so spending time at home was not the difficult part. I was really trying to embrace the circumstances. While we live in the epicenter of the Covid crisis here in America, Jonathan and I were healthy. We were social distancing ourselves and hunkering down at home.
Week two was a different story. I woke up last Monday morning and had completely lost my sense of taste and smell. I had some allergies over the weekend (or so I thought!), but when I lost my sense of smell and taste, I turned to google for more information. To my surprise, there was a brand new article with the headline, Lost Sense of Smell May Be Peculiar Clue to Coronavirus Infection. I immediately texted my friends who are doctors to ask their opinion and sure enough, it’s likely that I have Covid-19. I am so lucky to have very mild symptoms as I know the outcome could be much, much worse. But, THIS is exactly why Covid-19 is so terrifying. I almost didn’t feel ill, at all. Had it not been for the recent articles about loss of taste and smell, I would have thought this was due to allergies. I don’t have a fever, I’m not coughing, and I’m breathing normal. As we’ve heard over and over at this point, if you are young and healthy, you might not have any symptoms at all, which is why staying at home and practicing social distancing is so, so, so important.
We’re now heading into week 3 and while I’ve certainly had my moments of anxiety, I’m trying to look at the glass half full again. While we’re not able to be outside, we can open the window for fresh air. And although we can’t see our family or friends in person, we can do a virtual Happy Hour. And most importantly, we are healthy and we are safe. Right now is a super scary time and I am so incredibly thankful for the doctors and nurses who are putting their lives in danger to help others around the world. We are all in this together!
And while we’d love nothing more than to be spending some time in Iowa right now, currently our plan to do so is on hold. So until then, I’m sharing all of the things that Jonathan and I have been doing to stay sane while we are quarantining ourselves at home in our NYC apartment.
Fresh Air
While Jonathan and I are no longer going outside (as we are completely isolating), we were going for quick walks around the block during our first few days working from home. I desperately miss these walks (and the fresh air!), but we’ve been opening our windows at home on sunny days, which has been helping! For those of you with a house and a yard, I am very jealous! :)
Lots of Cooking
Cooking has never been something that I have enjoyed, whereas Jonathan is practically a chef! He’s such a good cook and we’ve been having so much fun cooking together over the past few weeks. Some of our favorites include: Spaghetti Squash, breakfast tacos, mustard crusted salmon, & grain bowls. And let me tell you, I’ve already promised him I’ll be making a carrot cake and chocolate chip cookies the second I get my taste back!
OBE Workouts
Thankfully, there has been NO shortage of incredible live-streaming workouts available. From Peloton to Obe, I’ve been keeping myself very busy with quick at-home workouts. I also love all of the Instagram Story videos some of my favorite studios are doing, like Y7 and Physique 57! In addition, Sweats and the City has a running google doc of all of the live workout classes available which is a great resource!
Virtual Shabbat Dinners
We have been pretty busy the past few months, and haven’t made time to light our shabbat candles on Friday nights. Now that we are home, we have no excuse, so we’ve been setting up virtual shabbat dinners with friends, which has been something we look forward to all week long!
Journal
I’ve always journaled before going to bed, but with all of the uncertainty right now, I've been writing multiple times throughout the day to get my feelings out on paper. I especially love these journal prompts from Wit & Delight which I turn to if I am in need of a little help. I also love this quick and easy meditation: Write down 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing good about yourself.
Follow Positivity
I am a huge fan of Morgan Harper Nichols and find her posts to be inspiring, motivating, and extremely relatable. Social media can be a great way to connect with others, especially in a time of crisis. I’ve found so much joy in all of the positive videos and stories circulating (I mean, how much did you cry when watching Coco come home from her last chemo treatment to a parade of friends and family?!)
Support Local
We know the restaurant industry is really struggling right now as they are closed to the public. We’ve been trying to do our best to support local business and order our favorite neighborhood dinners and desserts — like Levain Bakery, an Upper West Side institution!
Clean & Organize
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never cleaned so much in my entire life. I swear we are doing a full load of our dishwasher every single night! I found these adorable sponges at Anthropologie earlier this month (before we were told to stay home!) and they’ve been a fun addition to my daily dish scrubbing!
Stick to a Schedule
I’ve been trying to stick to somewhat of a schedule while we’ve been at home. I wake up around the same time we normally would and the first thing I do after brushing my teeth and washing my face is make our bed. It’s such a quick and easy task you can accomplish right away in the morning.
FaceTime
Thank god for technology, right? My friends and I were talking about how difficult this quarantine would have been 15 years ago without Zoom, FaceTime, Marco-Polo, Quiplash, and all of the incredible technology that keeps us in contact with those that we love. Jonathan and I have been FaceTiming with our nephews, parents, sisters, friends, and coworkers to stay in touch. We’ve done Zoom happy-hours, game nights, and more. Although it’s not the same as being there in person, it will do for now.
Donate
There are so many people, industries, and organizations in need right now, it’s hard to know where and how to help. Listing a few charities below should you feel inspired to donate: COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, Feeding America, No Kid Hungry, United Way, Keep Kids Learning, BStrong, & Getting Protective Equipment (PPE) to Our Healthcare Heroes
Snail Mail
I hate feeling helpless in a time like this. While I can’t be there in person for my friends right now, I spent part of this past weekend writing heartfelt letters to my closest friends letting them know how much I love them and how I’m here for them no matter what - just a phone call away. I ordered these greeting cards from Rifle Paper Co., along with some of my favorite Morgan Harper Nichols quotes, which I printed via Social Print Studio.
Adult Coloring Book
My husband ordered me a stress-relieving adult coloring book and a set of 72 colored pencils. I actually wasn’t sure what to think about this new activity, but I started to color and page by page I completely got lost in it, almost like meditation. Now, I’ve been turning to this handy coloring book almost every day to calm down and refocus.