How I’m Preparing for a Winter in Quarantine

Well this is a blog post I never thought I’d be sitting down to write.

Yesterday Philly announced new shut downs coming at the end of the week. Over the weekend, there were over 2,500 new COVID cases in the city over the weekend. I’ve always checked the numbers, and seeing them slowly (and then quickly) start to rise after they’d been steadily going down was scary. I do not take these spikes in numbers here in Philly or across the country lighting at all. And I want to do my part to help in getting these growing cases under control as soon as possible.

Listen, I get that this absolutely sucks. The holidays are approaching, most of us spent the summer with our favorite local businesses closed or modified and we want to be outside! We want to hang out with our friends and go on vacations. I’ve seen a lot of people posting that “they’re outside but doing it safely!” Yeah, the numbers say otherwise.

This year has been brutal on everyone’s mental, physical and emotional health in so many ways, and quarantine hasn’t helped. Isolation is do dangerous when you’re already facing mental health challenges like anxiety or depression. Throw in the days getting shorter, still having to work and keep life going, and a splash of quarantine and I get why people are throwing in the towel and booking flights to an Island or hosting get togethers.

I get it.

But as someone who has parents and friends with pre-existing conditions, and who doesn’t want to see anyone else unnecessarily contract this virus, I’d rather exercise too much caution than not enough.

If you’re also preparing to bunker down and turning down invites, and maybe getting flack from your loved ones or feeling guilty about it, remember that there is no such thing as being too safe during a global pandemic. Period. I tell myself that every day and I feel confident in saying it.

I know Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up are two of the biggest challenges we’re all navigating. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I’m crushed not to be joining my family in North Jersey for a big dinner, games and just being together. But I’m grateful that we will all be keeping each other healthy.

My Thanksgiving/Christmas Plan

As of right now, my dad is going to cook a small dinner just our family and pick me up to join them (I’m about 25 minutes away). My sister has already been home from college all year since her school went virtual. I’ll be quarantining and getting tested before and after, as will they. And honestly, this plan is super tentative, because we are being careful. If one of us isn’t able to quarantine or we just have a feelings it’s too risky for me to come, I’m perfect happy getting my dad’s amazing stuffing and ham dropped off to me!

Navigating living alone

I’m naturally introverted and a home body but 2020 has tested those limits for sure! I mentioned in a video that one thing that’s been helping me are having things to look forward to. Now is the time to get those things on a calendar! Start an impromptu virtual book club with 3-4 friends and schedule zoom dates to chat about it. Host a virtual game night. Plan one night a week that will be a fun date solo date night (I did this on Friday’s for weeks and loved it)! Have something that will make your weekends really feel like weekends and add a bright spot to your days.

Making a self care plan

It’s getting colder, so my long walks will probably need to shift to indoor movement. There are tons of  free workout videos on YouTube but I also recommend joining and working out with Lauren!! Her classes are fun and make me feel so good after!

Speaking of feeling good, I think we’ve all agreed that if it doesn’t have an elastic waist band we aren’t wearing it, right? I have some great loungewear linked in a highlight on my Instagram!

I’ll also be continuing to keep my virtual therapy appointments, watching Virtual Church on Sunday, spending time in during the day journaling, and try to meditate with the insight timer app as often as possible to keep myself grounded.

Stocking up, but not hoarding!

I hope I never walk into a grocery store to see those terrifyingly empty shelves the way I did in March. I’m making sure I have what I need to keep trips out to a minimum. But I’m also being mindful of taking what I need and not more, because hoarding isn’t helpful to me or anyone else. I’ve made sure to replace things in my pantry so I can have the essentials to make my favorite crock pot meals!

Basically, I’m trying to do my best to keep others safe and also keep myself sane. One thing that has made this year a little easier has been connecting with all of you, and creating content that hopefully keeps us all encouraged and entertained. I have some ideas for other ways to do that through the winter as well!

That’s all I’ve got. I hope this post made you feel a little less alone in sticking to safe boundaries. Please remember to wear a mask, wash your hands, and take care of yourselves and your communities.