Re: How To Not Go Crazy During Isolation?

It's official, the lockdown has begun.

Mar 20, 2020

Hello fellow humans!

It's official; I'm on lockdown… along with all of Los Angeles.

I'm currently writing this newsletter from my boyfriend's childhood home up in Woodland Hills. We're fortunate enough to have the place to ourselves (his parents are elsewhere).

But yesterday, our mayor announced a strict lockdown for the Los Angeles area until April 19th. He's calling is "safer at home;" I like to call it "what we all should've been doing this whole time."

I know not everyone has the option of working from home right now. If you're a hospital, grocery store, medical worker, etc. I want to say we all appreciate your hard work. If you're someone whose job hasn't afforded them the option of working from home, I hope that changes soon. Hang in there.

But if you're like me, finding yourself stuck inside for the indefinite future, let's talk. Because this might've sounded like a nice break at first, but days of isolation will take a toll on your sanity.

If you're feeling that toll, this email is for you.

Being in a confined space for a long period would drive anyone crazy (See: Sea World's killer whales). But there are a few things you can do to help keep your sanity during this period.

How to stay sane:

…with work

Working from home is going to feel uncomfortable if you've never done it. Usually, your time is filled with driving to work, meetings, and talking to co-workers. It's natural to find yourself with a lot more free time.

Cut yourself some slack. You won't always be busy. In fact, designate "work hours" for yourself. If you don't have a cut-off time, you might end up feeling like you need to work well into the night.

If you're finding it hard to work from home, structure will be your best friend. Set a specific work time and space for you to get done what needs to be done.

…with friends

Luckily we live in a time of great technological advances. Companies like Zoom and Skype make it easy to have a digital hangout.

While I haven't partaken in one, I've watched my boyfriend do digital hangouts every night with his whiskey friends (Concerning? Time will tell). I have a much smaller circle of friends; FaceTiming one person at a time is more my jam.

Whatever your means are, make time to still talk with your friends. It's still possible to be social even if you're not physically together.

…with your partner

Communication is going to be your best friend if you're isolating with your partner.

You both need to be upfront with each other on what you're expecting during this time. Are you aiming to become closer? Just make it through this time alive?

Talk about what your work schedules are. Let the other know if you need quiet time until 5 pm or if you're down for a mid-day chat.

And if you find yourself arguing more, know that's normal. Just be honest about how your feeling ("I feel" statements go a long way), remember you're both on the same team and regularly check in with one another.

…with yourself

You're going to have a lot more alone time, plain and simple. For some, that's a gift from heaven; for others, that's scary AF.

But the good news is, we can all be the former. Being alone is simply a state; the feeling we associate with it is up to us.

Use this isolation period to invest time into something you love to do. And please, for the sake of your well-being, choose something that makes you happy, and that's it. I see all these memes about using this time to get in the best shape of your life or read an insane about of self-development books.

But what about using this time to learn how to love simply existing?

If there's one thing you take away from this email, let it be this: re-learn how to do things solely for the sake of loving to do them. Read a fiction book. Pull out your old sketchbook. Learn a new skill.

This isolation period might not be an option, but you still have many choices when it comes to how you deal with it.

Your sanity is in your hands. Just be a bit more aware and plan accordingly; I promise you'll be just fine.

I'm also going to make a thread (expect another email) where we can all talk about what's helping keep us happy during this time. You know, connecting. Let this be another space where you can digitally connect with others.

Until then, my lovely readers.

All the love,

Kirstie