LIFESTYLEHow To Survive While Socially Deprived

A few weeks ago I was in the throngs of my standard Sunday routine. I woke up, caffeinated, and headed over to one of my favorite group exercise classes at the 24 Hour Fitness in Hillcrest. It was a yoga class taught by a very gentle-voiced instructor named Olivia. At the top of the class we were given an idea to focus on throughout our practice. After some background was given on the concept, she...
Lindsey Rohr4 years ago94115 min
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A few weeks ago I was in the throngs of my standard Sunday routine. I woke up, caffeinated, and headed over to one of my favorite group exercise classes at the 24 Hour Fitness in Hillcrest. It was a yoga class taught by a very gentle-voiced instructor named Olivia. At the top of the class we were given an idea to focus on throughout our practice. After some background was given on the concept, she provided the mantra for the day: “No Better Time Than Now”. As someone that endorses Ram Dass’s teachings and attempts to remain present in all that I do, the message reiterated the significance of being able to zero in on what’s important while letting all the other mental noise dissipate. This mantra was amplified by the fact that, at the time, people in the United States were just starting to become wary of Coronavirus. We had been hearing about the repercussions in China and Italy, but nothing was happening on the homefront. When I walked into the group exercise room that morning, I recall taking inventory of those in the class, paying close attention to whether the older folks that stake their mats near mine were still in attendance. They were. Despite our showing up, I felt that there was this underlying tone shared by everyone in the class; a collective worry about the rising health pandemic, but also a spark of hope that we’ll get through this.

In the days following that class, lockdown started to sweep the nation. As that was happening, I started checking in with friends, and began receiving messages asking me how I’m handling the social distancing. To many of these messages I responded that not much had changed from my normal day-to-day, aside from the fact that I couldn’t attend my beloved group exercise classes. The minuscule difference wasn’t the result of introversion, rather, the fact that I had already been practicing an at-home regimen that was catalyzed by being laid off in the Summer of last year. Right after I was let go, I opted to give myself a break and relish my newfound freedom rather than immediately jump back into the job cannon. I lived like a college student on Summer vacation; going to the beach every sunny day and spending my money like a Soundcloud rapper. Then reality kicked in and I realized how much I oddly missed having somewhere to report to every day. Additionally, finance concerns started to rise (no surprise there), so I reeled it back on the costly social ventures. Once that awareness came into play, my unemployed life left me feeling totally vulnerable since I’m a person that thrives from structure, organization, and keeping busy. Since I didn’t have to report to work daily, I had more me-time, which sometimes left me feeling emotionally drained as I dredged up past hurts and toiled about the future. After many recent conversations with friends, I know that these sentiments mirror what so many are feeling during this time of uncertainty. With the threat of Coronavirus looming, it is difficult to stay centered and present when there is so much happening around us; this wavering is only exacerbated by the fact that many people are being faced with medical issues, job loss, and all the repercussions that follow suit. Because of this, our mandated isolation leaves us no other choice but to lean inward, face ourselves, and try our very best to find solitude amidst the chaos.

There’s an old adage that says, “life is what happens when we’re busy making other plans”, and it couldn’t ring more true. As creatures of habit, we become so accustomed to the ins and outs of our lives, and mentally cement ideas about what’s to come. But the reality is that life is unpredictable, and with all that is happening in the world currently, there is no better time than now (see what I did there?) to recognize this. Despite the drastic change that COVID-19 and the stay-at-home order has presented us with, we still have an opportunity to walk our highest path, even in the absence of IRL (in real life) socialization and work — which both play huge roles in the formation of our identity. In order to minimize the mental and physical affliction that these unstable times can have upon us, we first need to reframe our outlook on the situation by releasing the need to control outcomes. Try to find pleasure in life’s impermanence by leaning into the discomfort and creating a new routine for yourself; one which increases the occurrence of your sources of joy — it will be your sādhanā.

[Note: sādhanā is a daily spiritual practice that you partake in. It doesn’t have to involve anything religious, though. Nor does it require that you vacantly meditate for 30 minutes. Sādhanā can be anything and everything, so long as it is being used toward your wellbeing and helping you to express yourself to the fullest!]

Here are some ideas for activities that can be incorporated into your sādhanā regime while quarantined:

 

  • Write. Journal or engage in freewriting. Take account of all the things you’re grateful for. Put that pen (or pencil!) to paper, and just let it all out. This will help to alleviate pent up emotions, while also getting those creative juices flowing. Plus, it’s kind of hard to be bummed when you practice gratitude.
  • Do breathwork. This will help to keep you relaxed when things become overwhelming… I’ve found that doing some breathwork is especially helpful when I’m trying to wind down for bedtime. One technique that I’ve grown fond of is box breathing (aka square breathing). To do this, close your eyes and breath in through your nose while slowly counting to four. Holding that breath in, count to four once again. Then release that breath by slowly exhaling for four seconds. Once all air is removed from your lungs, refrain from inhaling again for another four seconds. Repeat a few rounds.
  • Move. Walk around the neighborhood (get that coveted vitamin D). Stretch. Dance. Do yoga. My greatest happiness resource during this time has been physical activity. I’ve been mixing up my routine by following along with free fitness videos on Youtube (which I’m certain my downstairs neighbors are loving) and getting walks in when the weather permits.
  • Read. That’s it. That’s the tweet!
  • Get organized. Get that Spring cleaning in. Clean out that closet… AND, when possible, donate good-condition items to a charity. Getting rid of the material clutter in your life will help you feel better when dealing with your mental clutter. At least one of the two will be sorted!
  • Listen. To a podcast. To music. To your friend telling you a story on FaceTime. To the sound of your neighbor’s dog barking (which I’ve been doing a lot of involuntarily). Take in information from elsewhere. Whenever I get caught up in a negative thought cycle, or just feel stagnant, I tune into something that puts things back into perspective. As far as I know, there is nothing that a listen to Tame Impala’s Currents album won’t cure.
  • Create. Art. Food (tasty stuff, hopefully). Playlists. That one thing that you’ve been wanting to try, but haven’t gotten around to yet… like tending to new indoor plants or baking bread. On my end, the quarantine has been chock full of cooking attempts; some successful, some not. Just the other day when going back and forth with a friend, sending videos and images of all our food creations, I dropped an entire tray of battered cauliflower onto the oven door. It was horrible to clean up, but it made for great comedic relief.
  • Other. Take a relaxing bath. Start a new skincare regimen. Engage in the very humbling experience of taking off your own gel/dipped nails (haha). Light some palo santo/incense. Anything that will get you into pristine, primed, zen mode.

Despite the daunting reality of current affairs, this really is a time for us to band together by staying apart. By making use of the activities above, I have been able to maintain my balance and composure throughout the quarantine, allowing me to be fully there for myself as well as others through this trying time. With this stay-at-home order in effect, there really is no better time than now to take care of yourself and start a new normal that helps you work toward becoming your truest self.

 

 

Lindsey Rohr

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