Social distancing—we’ve all recently learned what it means and why we should do it during a global health pandemic. But the coronavirus outbreak isn’t the only time in life we have to deal with social isolation and uncertainty about the future.
Image credit: @howapcvputsitgently
Isolation and uncertainty are two of the biggest challenges we face as Peace Corps Volunteers. Most of my writing about Colombia to date has involved some kind of advice or reflection around these topics: being alone, coping with ambiguity, feeling a lack of productive purpose.
That’s why with the spread of coronavirus and constantly changing social norms, I’ve felt strangely calm and collected. Some of my days in Colombia are quite social—conducting trainings, teaching classes, one-on-one meetings, etc. But many others are not and I often pass several days at a time without directed purpose.
It’s strange and disorienting at first, but finding ways to cope with ambiguity and isolation is a healthy exercise in personal development. During this time of social distancing, we can all take it as such and follow these five tips:
1. Create routine.
Right now everything is uncertain. Pick the things you can control and create routines out of them.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, my day-to-day schedule is never a sure thing. To create a routine, I get up at the same hour every morning to do yoga, make coffee, and eat breakfast. By the time I’ve done all that, I’m motivated to start doing something even if I don’t have specific work planned.
If I’m not out working in the afternoons, I always exercise at 5 o’clock. After a mandatory midday nap to get through the afternoon heat, it’s easy to stay horizontal until I go to bed. On the coast, I exercise at 5 because it is the ideal time of day to get maximum breeze action without frying my skin in the direct sun. It helps me shake off anxiety and stress from the day, especially if I’ve been cooped up inside.
Pick 2-3 actions that help you establish a routine and do them every day at the same time. If you’re having a hard time sticking to them, just pick one small action and do that.
Here are some resources and tools to help you:
Nike Training Club. This is a free app with guided workouts that don’t require any equipment. It’s easy to plug in music and follow along on your living room floor.
Yoga with Adriene. I got hooked on this YouTube channel when fellow volunteers introduced me to its yoga videos. They’re easy to complete and Adriene has an inexplicably soothing vibe that leaves you feeling peaceful at the end of her videos. Choose from meditations as short as 5 minutes to full-on workouts that incorporate abs and more intense exercises.
Learn how to build tiny habits into your day from NPR’s Lifekit podcast.
2. Write it down.
I tried for a long time to be a journal person (2 years and only a couple dozen pages filled.) But in September of last year, I started a casual Bullet Journal after watching this five-minute how-to video. It doesn’t require me to recap my day (barf) or write about my feelings, but it does give me a space to organize myself and reflect using just a few bullet points.
An excerpt from my bullet journal.
Since the coronavirus pandemic became more serious, I’ve been recording daily notes about it. I know in a few years I’ll want to look back and remember what this time was like. Additionally, writing things down helps tame stress. If you decide to start journaling during this time of social distancing, it might help assign some meaning to your days when they all seem to blur together in anxiety-ridden existentialism.
3. Pick a hobby, any hobby.
Peace Corps Volunteers are good at this one. Think of something you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have the time. Perfect your sourdough starter. Paint an amateur watercolor landscape.
Doing this feels silly at first because American work culture programs us to specialize in things that we’re good at. But try meandering through an activity solely to entertain yourself. It’s gratifying and fun and helps release the tension you’re harboring from not being productive at an office desk for eight hours a day.
My hobby is watercolor painting. I’m not good, but it’s still gratifying.
Similarly, if you have a skill or hobby, write about it! Put together a how-to guide for learning a language, knitting, basic accounting, etc. and share it with friends. Peace Corps Volunteers do this constantly to transfer skills to each other and community members through basic written tutorials (this blog is an example).
4. Make good food.
Chances are you have a very specific set of groceries in your cabinets right now and you want to limit the amount you leave to go buy new ones. This is the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself in the kitchen.
Volunteers do this constantly because we don’t have the luxury of following recipes that require fancy and specific ingredients. That’s why I didn’t cook very well until I joined the Peace Corps—too much choice! Scarcity sparks creativity.
In the meantime, read this beautiful piece on isolation and cooking in the Peace Corps.
Grilling is the perfect excuse to go outside. Carbs are also comforting. Learn to make homemade bagels or pita bread (two of my favorite recipes).
5. Find your flow.
Flow happens when you get so immersed in an activity that you lose all sense of effort and time. (This usually only happens when we’re doing activities that we’re deeply passionate about.) Examples of activities where you might find flow are writing, reading, baking, painting, making music, or organizing your home.
Unlike new hobbies, flow activities tend to be things we’re already good at. Watercolor painting, for example, takes a lot of effort from me and usually doesn’t turn out very well. But writing comes naturally and puts me in the flow zone.
The best part about flow is that it requires zero approval or motivation from others. Finding your flow can keep you happy while going long stretches without social interaction. The coronavirus outbreak is an opportune time to figure out how to spend time alone—chances are this won’t be the only time you’ll have to do it.