My Dad was a Boy Scout which truly molded him and profoundly shaped his philosophy of life. He always taught and reinforced the lesson 'Always be Prepared'. Thanks to him, it's a philosophy that I try my best to live by as well. Therefore, when people started making a run on the stores and supermarkets, I was already close to being stocked up for three weeks (with the exception of toilet paper). However, in the big scheme of things, toilet paper is the least of our worries.
Here's my daily routine lately since my employer shut down on tuesday for at least the rest of the month.
MORNINGS
I'm actually sleeping in later now (til' about 6:00 a.m.). I usually get up at 5:20 every morning, so I wonder just how much more my sleep pattern will change after a couple more weeks. I get up, grab a cup of coffee, and turn the TV on to get the latest 'Damage Report'.
I sit on the couch for a couple of hours, checking news, finances, etc. on the laptop, and plan my day out. I then get up and try to stay as busy as I can. I have been eating healthier as of late and have been doing intermittent fasting for months now.. so I skip breakfast which will help a little bit with rationing our food stores.
MIDDAY
I try to keep as busy as possible. Staying productive helps me immensely to keep a level head, and keep my stress levels down. These are crazy times and things change minute by the minute. Therefore, we always have the news dialed in on the TV in our living room. While I'm doing work or chores, I'm usually also listening to the radio.
That being said.. too much of this type of negative input isn't good for a person. I find myself around 2:00 p.m. feeling a lingering sense of dread. It's at this point I actually make myself unplug from the news, pop in the earbuds, and listen to some music of podcasts to escape reality for a little while.
I'm definitely more active these days, which is not only therapeutic, but exactly what I need for my health. Here's a list of things I've accomplished in the last two days..
- Cleaned the garage
- Hand pulled weeds from the front landscaping of the house
- Treated front landscaping for future weeds
- Treated front landscaping for ants
- Reset paving stones on front landscaping
- Installed a keyed entry lock on the gate to my fence
- Scrubbed the tiles of my pool
- Started completion on a vintage bicycle rebuild that's been sitting for 3 years
- Started playing Minecraft (an incredible time filler that keeps you focused)
- Engaged in more physical activity like exercise and swimming
- Made Pigs in a Blanket from scratch
- Relocated a tree to the backyard
There's more miscellaneous things I've done, and believe me.. there are waaaay more on my to-do list. Maybe I'll list them here every day to not only reinforce my sense of accomplishment, but also as way to give others ideas on how to fill their time if they are finding themselves going stir crazy. While it has its own set of stresses, home ownership is actually a godsend for me at this time in regards to keeping me busy.
EVENING
Lately, by evening I am flat wore out and tired. I sit back and relax after dinner, once again watching the news to get updated on our current situation in the country. When this once again starts to overload my brain, I retreat to the garage to work on my 1963 Schwinn Bicycle that I'm putting back together. Come 9:30 p.m. I'm good and ready to go to bed. This is a good thing, because before Tuesday, I was having a hard time winding down and falling asleep.
THINGS TO DO DURING A LOCKDOWN
I'm not sure what I would do if I didn't have so many projects and ways to fill my time. I'm one of those people that have an infinite number of interests, and always want to try new things. I do know that it would be much more challenging if I lived in an apartment. For my friends that do.. I can only ask if they have a hobby they love. If not, maybe it's time to get into a new one.
I know that once I catch up with the house upkeep, repair and organization, I would love to go on some walks, bike rides, and maybe even play some solo disc golf. I have always wanted to try cheese, hot sauce, and sausage making. I've dabbled with leather working in the past and would love to get into it again. I have two books I've started writing that have been sitting idle for years. I have also been wanting to do something new with TheRetroDad.com for quite some time as well. Believe me when I tell you this is a short list of interests and hobbies I already have. I will have absolutely no problem filling my time in the weeks to come.
If you still are struggling with how you are going to handle social distancing, allI can say is time alone or limited time around others is not always a bad thing. When you're alone with your thoughts, you can really start to self reflect. I thrive on this, but I realize it makes some uncomfortable, especially if you're a very social person. In my experience, this discomfort is trying to tell you something whether it's good or bad. Try to use this time to understand it and yourself a bit better.
I often used to ask myself "If you had all the time in the world, what would you do?". Well now we do friends. I've never in my life been in a situation like this, and I for one am going to try and make the absolute best of it. I hope I come out on the other side more enlightened and a better person.
I realize not everyone may be afforded the chance to keep busy with productive and relaxing activities. Many are struggling and scared to death about how they are going to make it through all of this. The harsh reality is that this isn't going away any time soon, and we HAVE to make it through.. somehow. If you can help someone in any way do it. Maybe it's in the form of food, some funds, or even just encouragement and kind words. We all need to come together even though we are having to keep our distance from one another.
I may post daily for awhile since I now have the time to do so. I'll try to keep the content as light as I can, as none of us need anymore anxiety or dread. Be good to yourselves my friends, and be good to others.