I’ve discovered some things about myself in this last week of being housebound.
I’m lazy.
The sloth is my spirit animal.
I love being in bed. I love puttering around the house. I love TV. I love eating snacks. I love cozy.
I’m also realizing how physically active I was in my pre-virus life and how little I normally eat. In this new slothy normal, gaining the Quarantine 15 or COVID-20 could become a reality.
Today, I’m still in glasses and pjs. I did wash my face and put on lipstick so I could sign on to Pippa’s Zoom call with her teacher and not scare the class. I’m doing my own work as well as homeschooling the kids which I am not enjoying.
I made cheesy omelettes with Costco croissants for breakfast, dried mango like an hour later for snacks and a mere hour later I’m making lunch. Ham and cheese croissandwiches! Did I mention I went to Costco yesterday? We also made cookies from scratch last night and there’s a lot more dough to eat.
Before all this I’d complain about having to go to work early but man, my career choice has proven to be such a blessing for me. It gets my out of the house and out of my head, connecting with humans, speaking aloud and moving my body.
Yesterday, by extreme contrast to today, I woke up before 7, showered, put on makeup and spandex. I rode my bike the four miles to my Pilates studio (where I’m all alone). In these new Zoom classes I demonstrate a lot more so I did three full workouts and rode the four miles home.
Which scenario made me feel healthier, more energetic and productive? In the former, I felt lethargic, doughy, quick to irritation just wanting to nap and watch TV. The latter, I made better food choices all day, had more energy, was more patient with the kids and slept soundly.
What can I learn from my own drastically different behavior from one day to the next? Even when stuck at home, can I behave more like working Molly?
#1 You have to make yourself a schedule. Don’t aimlessly wander from one task to the next. Write out your schedule in your planner, then do it!
#2 – You have to exercise! Exercise gives a boost to your brain, your immune system, your mood while counteracting the impact of incessant snacking. While we’re still allowed to go outside, do it! I’ll share my best lazy-girl trick. Walk, run or bike fifteen minutes away from your house. Then guess what? You have to get home! Walking around the block doesn’t work for lazy people because you can abort anytime five minutes in. I heard about this type of behavior somewhere.
This outdoors option may be taken away in the coming days. You can always join me live in Zoom mat classes or check out Pilatesology using code Molly30 for thirty days of free workouts. No equipment necessary.
#3 Set your meals times. Don’t let yourself snack from morning to night. I’m looking in the mirror here. It just makes you feel crappy and lethargic. Take the time to make your meals and don’t eat standing up in front of the kitchen sink. Again, pot, meet kettle.
#4 Attack one of your home or work goals. This is the time! I have a lot on my list here. I plan to get a handle on my nonexistent YouTube channel, complete another online certification, write a lot more, clean out our shed (again).
We don’t have to gain the COVID 20! It’s up to us. At the end of this we could have a spare tire and mud flaps or we could have a tidy home, a body of work on our blogs and a whole new online business.
It’s also okay to give in to your inner sloth some days. I do, guilt-free on the weekends. I haven’t had the luxury of being lazy in many years so part of me is enjoying this time. I just fear if we give into lethargy and gluttony it won’t be easy to return to our formerly productive and active lives. I fear that we’ll dip too far into depression and anxiety and not be able to dig ourselves out.
Try to stay on a positive routine of exercise, meal times and productive time. And please stay connected on FaceTime, Zoom, Skype or a good old fashioned phone call. This is the strangest, scariest time I’ve ever been through. We all have no idea how it’ll turn out with our health and businesses but we’re all in the same boat.
Stay healthy and remember to wash your hands!