COVID-19 "house arrest": My attempts at sanity
I’m no guru - or zen-master - or shrink (or whatever other fancy authoritative title you want to use); I’m just a regular person stuck here in NYC on what I’d like to coin as “COVID-19 house arrest.” Believe it or not, mentally, I’m actually faring better than I had imagined. Why? Because as a self-proclaimed extrovert prior to being on “COVID-19 house arrest,” I’ve since come to the realization that I’m much more of an introvert and a homebody. Dare I say that I am actually loving being able to work from home with my pup in my lap?
With that being said, I would probably have lost my mind by now if I hadn’t have been coming up with random crap and healthy(er) coping skills to pass the time outside of work. In the beginning of all of this (for your reference, I am going on my third “work from home” week), I was soothing my anxiety and COVID-19 terror with an over abundance of red wine and frequent binge eating-episodes. Knowing full damn well that both of those “coping mechanisms” are very slippery slopes, I have since tried to limit myself to one drink/weeknight (and possibly allowing for a second or third on the weekends). When it comes to food and cooking, I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that having sweets (quite literally in any form) around the apartment is my kryptonite. Thus, I have found it helpful to focus my energy on whipping up savory recipes and steering clear of the candy aisle at the grocery store.
Outside of my weekday “work from home” schedule (8AM - 5PM), here are some things that I’ve been doing (that don’t involve the obvious distractions like watching TV, listening to music, reading, or bragging about all of the online fcuking workout classes I’ve not been doing, etc.) to aid me from totally losing my marbles when the news media + sobering reality of what the fcuk is going on is just too much:
Organized OR sporadic virtual hangouts/happy hours with friends, family, colleagues, etc: Of all of the services out there, my favorites for group gatherings are Zoom (for viewing on your computer/laptop) and Houseparty (for your phone/iPad). With the latter, be mindful to “lock” your conversation if you don’t want random friends popping in to your convos uninvited!! It’s happened to me more times than I can count! #Yikes
Planning a virtual date for me and my LDB (long-distance boyfriend): How, you ask? Well, let’s start with these adorable Paperless Post virtual invites! Seriously, have you seen anything cuter??
Next, we will mutually agree on a date, start time, and a series to begin binge’ing together via Netflix Party, a platform that allows you to watch programs with others (and includes cool features like synchronized video playback). Did someone say TIGER KING??
In order to support our local eateries, he and I will choose one cuisine and order our respective deliveries to arrive 30-minutes prior to “cocktail hour” so as not to be interrupted during.
Likely via FaceTime, we will begin our evening with a cocktail, followed by a seated dinner and, finally, and a Netflix series. Pretty cute, right?
Painting my nails. Again.
Adult coloring books: Because is there anything more soothing than coloring in a picture that yells “Go F*ck Yourself!” surrounded by a bed of flowers? Nope.
Knitting: Prior to the virus, I was taking 1x1 knitting lessons from a sweet older woman in my neighborhood. She was never thrilled when I would arrive to our sessions having not practiced very much (read: not at all). Welp, now that I have oodles of time on my hands, I successfully finished knitting what semi-resembles a scarf and have already ordered another yarn ball that’s set to arrive on Friday. Boom!
Curious about knitting? There are lots and lots of tutorial videos on YouTube - you just have to find the instructor/method that works best for you.
Cleaning: Gym closed? Can’t go for a walk because it’s raining/snowing? No problem! Each day, pick one area/corner/room in your abode and go to town! There’s something that is so invigorating about scrubbing the shiz out of the tiles in your shower. Great way to expel some of that extra energy/stress, too!!
Cooking: Being in the kitchen is my personal form of meditation. Even if it’s for just a few minutes at a time, I love to get lost in a recipe and totally forget about what is going on outside of my front door. Since I’ve been home, I’ve made:
Homemade matzo ball soup (recipe to follow soon)
Fresh corn tortillas that I’ve used to make quesadillas and enchiladas
Braised Beef with Cherries (recipe to follow soon)
Seasonal roasted vegetables
…and that’s just the beginning! I’m hoping to bake some bread and make pizza dough - master a polenta - and find a killer recipe for a super slow-cooked Bolognese. Stay tuned!
Do tell, what have you been doing to stay somewhat sane? I would love to hear from you!
Be well!
…
Until we eat again,
The Lunch Belle