A Month of Social Distancing
Since the world officially turned upside down a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been trying to find ways to spend my time while social distancing.
I’m a homebody/introvert by nature, so I always have lists and plans of things I want to do, learn, or practice. I figured, just for fun, I would give you all a glimpse into what I’ve been doing to fill my time.
What I’ve done while social distancing:
Binged TV!
Unpopular opinion: I don’t like movies all that much. For me, a movie is best experienced in an actual movie theater (because you obviously have to get movie popcorn, because OBVIOUSLY movie popcorn is the best part.)
Personally? I love TV shows. Anything with drug lords, infidelity, or any dark comedy is my JAM. During the last few weeks I’ve binged:
The entire 3rd season of Ozark (OMG SO GOOD—Jason Bateman, you’re a genius.)
Mrs. Fletcher on HBO (So funny and quick to get through!)
Real Housewives of NYC
Tiger King (I know, I know. I watched it all in one night ONLY so I could relate to pop culture.... ya feel me? Also, Carole Baskin did not feed her husband to the tigers.)
Grey’s Anatomy (probably not the best choice for a feel-good show, but when have I ever enjoyed feel-good shows???)
Puzzlin’
This is just a habit of mine, but whenever a puzzle is around, I drop everything and work on it for hours until I realize I skipped a meal and need to go to bed because it’s 3:00 in the morning. This really happens. They just suck me in and a few hours (and a season of a TV show later) I’ve gotten approximately 1/4 of it done. I competed my first 1,000-piece puzzle a week ago. I’m working on my second now.
Cooking… the hard stuff.
I always love to cook, but now is the time that I get to experiment with things I’ve had on my list for a while. So far that has consisted of a beautifully golden pan of focaccia bread and a magical pot of beans. (Shoutout to Bon Appetit for amazing recipes! Also, if you’re looking for a replacement for the terrible Food Network—or should I say, Chopped—watch their YouTube channel. Quality meme-worthy entertainment!)
Next on my food projects list is several BA recipes (Tiger Salad, anyone?), my first sourdough starter, and maybe chocolate chip cookies if I no longer can control my cravings...
I miss the library :(
One of my favorite things to do on my lunch breaks at work was to walk down the street to the library and roam the stacks. It was quiet, warm, and comforting. Now that I’m working from home and all public libraries are closed indefinitely (major sadness), I have had to resort to reading books my least favorite way–electronically. But, I figure it’s better to read on a screen than read nothing at all... even if it makes my eyes hurt.
Here’s a few reads I’ve competed (some were actually books I still have from the library):
The Vegetarian by Han Kang (VERY weird read.)
The Dinner by Herman Koch (This book is wild! He’s a great writer and I couldn’t put this one down.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Currently reading Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dyer. My goal is to read 25 books in 2020 and according to my GoodReads account I am one book ahead of schedule! :)
Moving, not moving, then moving again…
I have a love/hate relationship with working out. Eating healthy is no problem for me but I have such a difficult time moving my body. At the beginning of all this, I was going to the gym every morning at 6 a.m. I was on a roll, and then everything came to a grinding halt. I’ve been encouraged by my roommate to go for walks everyday, which helps a lot, but my strength has really gone out the window.
I downloaded some apps to help with bodyweight exercises, but I’m starting to realize that the only bodyweight “exercise” I enjoy is yoga! So, I’ve decided to start to incorporate more yoga into my daily routine. I literally have no excuse but to slide out of my bed and onto the floor in the morning. I figure some movement is better than none at all, so even if it’s sleepy yoga, it still counts right? Although, I think my new goal will be to do a headstand. It’s a tall order (ha.) but we’ll see!