7 things to do in these strange and unprecedented times
And yes I use that title ironically. But as meme as it sounds, it’s pretty much a perfect way to describe the circumstances we find ourselves in right now. It’s hard to choose one particular thing to be concerned about right now, between worrying about the economy and struggling to stay sane in isolation, but they all lead back to COVID-19. Here are a few things I’ve been doing, and I hope they help!
1 . Cook something new and challenging
Those who have known me for a while will know that I’ve never been one to cook or bake much; at school, it was a rotating cycle of fishball soup noodles, hotpot, eggs with toast, grilled cheeses and not much else. Here are some yummy foods I have attempted over the past few weeks:
- Macarons
- Green onion pancakes
- Banana bread
- Bread
- Cinnamon rolls
I’d definitely recommend the cinnamon rolls for an easy start (very satisfying and almost no skills needed).
2. Learn how to DIY something
For me this was cutting hair (my boyfriend’s, not my own haha) and manicures. I find that giving myself a manicure is so relaxing and just makes me feel like my life is coming back together again (I’m sure lots of people out there can relate when I say that seeing nicely manicured nails type away is way better than a 4 week old cracking and peeling polish!).
3. Make a bucket list for things that you will do post-COVID-19
We don’t know how long this will last. We’re getting different news and estimates that range from 3 months to 2 years; even our friend Trump has admitted that his initial goal of reopening the US by Easter is misguided and naive. But we’re eventually we’ll come out the other side and I found that this was a nice way to plan your hopes and dreams, thinking about life beyond the virus. You can do it by yourself or make a list with your s/o, friends etc.
4. Start a new skincare routine
When I’m rushing out the door for class or work I sometimes find myself skimping on toner and serum BUT without feeling the pressures of going outside, it’s the best time to start one or switch it up if you already have one. It’ll likely be good for your skin, which isn’t getting a lot of fresh air right now, you build a habit for the future, and if something goes wrong (i.e. redness, breakouts, etc) you don’t have to worry about covering it up!
5. Indulge in a show on Netflix
I know everyone is probably already doing this but if not now, then when??? A few of my most recent picks are:
- Community (funny, light, the office-esque)
- Crash Landing on You (MUST WATCH K-DRAMA, YOU WILL BE ADDICTED!!)
- You (not for the faint of heart, this definitely got my pulse racing)
6. Call your friends and family!
Do I need to say more on this point?
7. Read the news
Now this one might be conflicting because I’ve seen many things about how reading and watching COVID-19 news increases anxiety. However, and this is my own opinion, not knowing enough is actually what causes more anxiety and stress. By reading materials out there from different sources, whether they’re news articles or papers or studies or opinion pieces, I find that you get a better understanding of what we’re going up against. By educating yourself, you gain clarity into the situation and an understanding of what needs to happen for life to go back to normal. My hot take here is that social distancing is not the only or even the most important thing needed right now (though I do still support it) — we also need aggressive contact tracing, strict case isolation, increased testing capacity, and research about the virus.
Something I’ve been thinking about is the call to “think about what you really want to get back to” after things get back to normal. However, this can put undue pressure on people to reinvent themselves in quarantine and have something to show for it when this is over. I think of it more as seizing this time to do the fun stuff that I would brush aside as taking too much time in normal routine. What are you guys doing in quarantine? Let me know!