It’s official, I got a positivie covid PCR test. so 10 days of solitude it is. It’s weird that after over a year working directly with covid positive patients, with less than covid-proof PPE, I end up catching it now that I’ve left.
Either way, when I first got the result, I thought ‘dang, I haven’t even got no food or nothin’. Followed by ‘what on earth will I do at home with all this time?’
Very luckily, and thankfully, I haven’t experienced any symptoms- barring feeling more tired than usual. So, here are some ideas to keep yourself occupied if you are, like me, banished to the depths of your gardenless apartment.
Clean like you’ve got all day (because you have)
Boring, I know, but hear me out: you’ll be stuck there for 10 days! You might as well be in a nice, clean environment if you can’t go anywhere else eh? I’ve had a really busy couple of weeks and doing a deep clean has just not really been possible. So, the first day of isolation, I whipped out cleaning stuff from under the kitchen sink and got to work. It really wasn’t that bad. If you’ve got a good set of podcasts or banging playlists, it can even be- dare I say it- pleasant.
DIY Spa evening
Blow the dust off the jars of face masks, the body scrubs; gather the bath bombs and heck, even fish out your gua sha. We might as well take this opportunity away from people, to do some self-care, some light grooming. Emerge from isolation looking like a supermodel (fine, just a well-groomed human).
If you’re like me, you desperately need to clip your long ass toenails; so why not also soak your feet? Or better yet, go all out and paint them yourself *gasp*. Just take your time to take care of yourself and listen to some music or watch TV. You’ve got the whole night after all (and likely, several more days)
Start Learning whatever you keep ‘meaning’ to Learn
Duolingo is once again an app I actually enjoy using! But if it’s not a language it could be revising for your theory test, or finally perfecting your headstand. Whatever it is, you’ve got the time to practise, so you might as well go for it.
Build a morning routine
Admittedly, on some days, I’ve had a lie in until midday. But, having a bit of a routine really gets me excited to get out of bed and start the day. I’ve been enjoying listening to audio books, exercising and trying new smoothie recipes as part of my morning routine in isolation. It’s the perfect opportunity to make your morning as slow, relaxing and bougie as you fancy.
Make plans
Having nowhere to go really gives you the time to think about what the next few months or years could look like for you. It might be a good time to make a vision board or look into how you’re going to make 2022 the year of ______ . Alternatively, it might just give you the time to look into new places to explore with your loved ones.
Catch up with pals
Quarantine doesn’t feel so isolating when you’ve got top tier people to talk to. Being alone for 240 hours might just be the perfect time to really reconnect with friends and family.
Binge a TV show
Binge watching TV (guilt free) is often a very rare opportunity. So grasp it with both hands! Get yourself some popcorn or wine or whatever, and dedicate an entire day- if you like- to watching your favourite shows or movies, or discovering new ones. Some of my recent faves have been: A quiet place, Girlfriends on Netflix & little fires everywhere on Amazon prime.
Twenty to a hundred 