From eating habits to sleep-wake cycles, what was once ‘normal’ is no more. A few months in, we are calling for a pulse check: how have our routines evolved in isolation? And what’s more, how has our time at home impacted our ideas of health and wellness? With the rules in flux and the seasons in swing, we thought it time to talk about how our lives have adapted today, and how they’ve been changed forever. Here goes!
Our eating habits have changed
We’ll be frank; in the beginning, the snacking was…a situation. And though it started with baked goods (our banana bread and sourdough deserve awards) and ample takeout, our habits quickly evolved into healthier alternatives comprised of ingredients we already had. And pantry staples really helped. Being in the kitchen has reminded us of a few things: you can trust the nutritional value when you take charge of the measuring cup, it usually tastes better when you make it yourself, and the occasional loaf never hurt anyone. Because, ~balance~
We made no excuses to work out Finding time for fitness has always been a constant struggle. That is, until all we had was time at home, and we had to face the facts: excuses got us nowhere (literally). Once we took the bull by the horns, we realized isolation presented many opportunities to get a sweat in. We set SMART goals and stuck to them! Whether at lunchtime or while the kids are down for a nap, we found ourselves more flexible with time, and consequently, more able to squeeze in the workouts we couldn't before. We even got resourceful and realized that not only could we fit in exercise anywhere, we could also do it with anything in sight (reaches for bottle of detergent). And as the weather became warmer and distancing shrunk to two feet, many of us even took the workouts to the park and realized how nice it was to finally be able to breathe in some fresh air.
Ultimately, we grew to know that moving our bodies is a reward, not a punishment, and we can reward it at anytime. And while this might seem to go without saying, it also helped us sneak in a bit more water than we’re used to during the day. A win-win!
We slept, finally!
Since we swapped our commute for couch-side meetings, sleep is one thing we have improved upon. We were first a little troubled with the heaviness of the world, and overwhelmed with questions of what’s to come, but prioritizing sleep, keeping a routine and supplementing when need be have really helped us come to terms with the world and trust our authorities to lead the way. And while we did feel a little cheeky for it in the beginning, we’ve seen that catching up on z’s has given us more energy, making us more present, alert, and available in our homes and at work. We might have finally realized the importance of good sleep after all these years.
We prioritized self-care
This one is up and down, and likely the toughest part of adapting to life at home. While we are surrounded by those we love most, we are apart from the very things we often use to define us. In the name of self-care, we have taken wellness to a new level. Spending time away has forced us to spend time with ourselves, growing our relationship with who we’ve become and carving the path for who we’d like to be. Exploring new interests, reading new books and finding new podcasts have helped us get inspired to look onward. And with the separation between work and life set to blur, it’s easy to feel a little less like ourselves. So, we came to a conclusion: we can only treat others as well as we treat ourselves. Though it may seem simple, we leaned on old rituals to do so. Just like before, we took the time in the morning to prepare ourselves for the day ahead, even simulating our commutes to help create the space between home and work. And while the burden of everyday makeup and pointy shoes have been lifted, we still get dressed. We still go outside. We still feel like !
We learned the biggest lesson of all
Human interaction has become so important to us in isolation. And now that restrictions are beginning to loosen, and social situations have become more frequent, we understand the value of meaningful connection more than ever. During our most isolated times, maintaining relationships allowed us to rejoice in the highs and quell the lows. They kept us encouraged when we lost sight of our purpose, and accountable when we skipped our daily steps. While the ways we socialize have been impacted, the reasons certainly have not: our interactions with each other determine our quality of life to come. So, as things start to return to normal, remember to continue working towards the goals you set in iso, be good to yourself inside and out, and be kind to one another through this final push. We owe it to what is next.
