real talk: stay well! stay home!
Shirt: vintage//Skirt: thrifted from Hudson Valley boutique// Shoes: Urban Outfitters//Earrings: BaubleBar
I’ve always thought long and hard about what kind of space I wanted this site to be. And while I want this to be a sparkly escape, like life I realized sometimes you can’t 100% compartmentalize everything. And in certain scenarios, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge if not address them head on [like I did here].
In truth, I actually started writing this draft last week and felt like I couldn’t find the right words. I still feel like I can’t find the right words, but I think that’s okay and will likely remain my feeling for quite some time
I think it can be easy to get lost in the gloom and doom of the headlines [and not for naught; this is a serious situation and we should be treating it as such]. But I also think, per my glass half full philosophy, that we can also take the time that has been given back to so many of us and use it as an opportunity. I must acknowledge that I recognize that everyone's situation is different [not everyone can easily work from home, some industries are being hit harder than others, same goes for demos of people,etc.] So I am speaking from my personal experience. Below are some of things I have been doing to stay calm and keep motivation high while our day to day operations are so very different.
Dress the Part: Even if you won’t be leaving the apartment, or only joining video conferences, I find that getting dressed like you would any normal day helps. [Rent the Runway actually gifted 2 extra spots this month, so I’m looking into something long and tulle because why not *shoulder shrug*].
Take breaks: In the office, you go for lunch, you get a coffee, you stop by a co-workers desk, and that should be no different when working from home. It's unsustainable [and frankly counter productive] to feel the need to work hours and hours straight. Go get some water, change rooms, make a snack [and eat it away from your screen] to help create distance between you and work.
Schedule social time: Yes, I have cal invites for Facetimes with my friends all around the world. I want to treat them as I would any other engagement and make sure I prioritize this time, even if I’m not changing locations. I currently try to have at least one a day to make sure that I can spread them out over the course of the week. Kind of like your happy hour catch up sesh after work! My book club even went virtual this month! The book was “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone”, which a lot of you messaged on IG that you read and loved! While we picked the book a little over a month ago, it turns out this trip to the therapist's office was exactly what we needed especially at a time like now.
Keep moving: While I have been tuning to Sky Ting's free yoga live streams, there are plenty other resources available. Peloton has extended trial from 1 month free trial to 3 month free trial (thanks for the tip, Laura). Mindbody Green is hosting classes on IG and IG Live. And while I think this is harder for folks in cities like New York, getting some fresh air is definitely a plus while still making sure to stay 6 feet away from folks [so yes, that means I do cross the street when there is a group of folks at the corner].
Lean in: To what I was mentioning above, I have now not only finished our book club book, but also Uncanny Valley [quite a few of you read this one too] and am now onto The Most Fun We Ever Had. I have also enrolled into Yale’s The Science of Well Being for free (more details here) and am dabbling in some graphic design tutorials (Brit & Co is offering creative classes for free just use code “SELF CARE”). I’m still cracking the turning my West Village apartment into a home studio thing [follow Krystal’s tips here if you’re looking to as well]. For now, I’m starting off on the fire escape. These ones were actually snapped at C’s on the LES a couple weeks ago, but experimenting with my fire escape this week [perhaps with that long and tulle item]
I couldn’t stress this last one more--
Social distancing (for real): I don’t take public transportation. I also choose not to take Lyfts or Ubers. And while yes, I would love to keep those weekend sessions with my friends, the truth of the matter is that this is so much bigger than me and my need to be social at this one moment in time. This is a global issue. If not for you, for those you love and those on the front lines in hospitals risking their lives everyday. I urge you.
Stay well! Stay home (if you can)!
