Tag Archives: isolation

Making Home Workouts Feel A Bit More Like Studio Ones (or I Do Still Wish I Was In-Studio)

Posted on July 13, 2020 | Comments Off on Making Home Workouts Feel A Bit More Like Studio Ones (or I Do Still Wish I Was In-Studio)

This past week was supposed to be the week I went back to Orangetheory to have in-studio workouts. I had been so excited to be going back, but I also understood when they had to announce that the re-opening had to be postponed. I’m so grateful that they are more concerned about safety and health than rushing to re-open so they can have business again. And as I get to 4 months of home workouts, I’ve got the routine down. I have gotten some things that make my workouts better, but for the most part, I have a system each time.

And I noticed that whenever I would start a home workout in the OTF app, it would try to connect to my heart rate monitor but couldn’t find it. I couldn’t figure out why because it was connected to my device and I was using it on another app. After the first few home workouts, I just gave up on it and didn’t bother. But for some reason, this past week I decided to figure it out and see what I could do.

It ended up being a really simple fix (even though my monitor was connected to my device, I needed it to also be connected to the app). And I’m so glad that I did it. Because now, when I do my workouts at home I can see my heart rate information on the screen. It’s so much more like being in the studio.

And this is really a big difference for me. Even though I have an idea of what my heart rate is or what zone I’m in based on how I feel, I like having the data and information to track it too. It holds me more accountable for my work and gets me to push myself if I’m close to the orange zone. I know that having it on the screen doesn’t necessarily change my heart rate, but it changes my work and that can change my heart rate.

I did really notice a change in my workouts this week. I was going harder. I was more aware of what I was doing and if I was pushing myself enough. It almost made me feel like I was being coached because there was no denying my heart rate numbers. If I thought I was doing enough but my heart rate was really low, I knew that I wasn’t doing what I should.

And just like the week before, I felt it after each workout. I was sweating so much and was sore after each one. I really tried to step things up a bit and seeing my heart rate on the screen really helped me to do that. And I’m glad I had 2 good weeks in a row because I’m coming up on when I will likely have bad weeks. As always, I’m trying to be optimistic and hope I’ll feel fine. But I’m also realistic. I know it’s very likely that I won’t be feeling great. But I’m also thinking that having my heart rate visible to me the entire workout will make me feel a bit better about having a harder time in my workout. It’s a sign of what I am doing even if I don’t feel like I’m doing much.

I’m still working on improving my home gym equipment and figuring out what I want to spend money on to have in my house. I have so many ideas. I’m just lacking in space and money and the inventory of some things is lacking too. But I’m dedicating some time this week to look online and make some decisions about what I really want to get. Hopefully soon, I’ll have some new stuff in my house to help my workouts. But at least for now, I have some equipment already here and now I have better monitoring of my heart rate.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailWorking Through The Workouts (Modifications Are Harder At Home) Default ThumbnailWorking Out At Home (or Trying To Figure Out What To Do) Default ThumbnailSome Of My Best And Worst Workouts (or A New Type Of Home Workouts) Default ThumbnailContinuing My Home Workouts (or I Really Am Grateful For Orangetheory) Default ThumbnailAnother Mixed Motivation Week (or I Might Be Almost Done With At-Home Workouts) Default ThumbnailA New Year Of Workouts (or Finally Starting To Feel Like Myself Again)

Comments Off on Making Home Workouts Feel A Bit More Like Studio Ones (or I Do Still Wish I Was In-Studio)

Posted in Fitness

Tagged , , ,

So Many Virtual Movie Nights (or Thank Goodness For Technology)

Posted on July 9, 2020 | Comments Off on So Many Virtual Movie Nights (or Thank Goodness For Technology)

I’ve been doing movie nights with Netflix Party with friends for a while now. Honestly, this is what is keeping me sane a lot of the time. I have scheduled NP nights with a FB group every Wednesday and Saturday. Knowing I have those in my schedule gives me something to look forward to.

There are so many things I miss while in quarantine. But one big one is having a communal experience with others. There is something about seeing a movie or a play in a theater and knowing everyone else in that room is seeing the same thing that you are. Watching movies alone at home isn’t the same. So when quarantine started and I was watching a lot of movies on streaming programs, that communal experience feeling was what I was lacking. Thank goodness for NP because it has allowed me to feel like I’m experiencing that just a little bit.

Some of the other streaming services have been setting up their versions of Netflix Party, but so far I haven’t been able to use them. Some of them are only available to subscribers at a specific level and some of them are dealing with too many glitches. We had issues with the glitch problem this past Friday. My regular NP group decided to do a bonus night and watch “Hamilton” together. We wanted to test out the Disney+ Party app, but it was down because so many people were watching at the same time.

So what we decided to do was all get our TVs set and ready to go, and I did a group FB call to everyone to count down when we would start. And we had a specific FB chat group to talk to each other while watching. In some ways, it was nicer because I could watch on my TV instead of my computer. But it’s also nice watching on my computer with NP because the chat is right next to the movie and I don’t have to keep looking down at my phone. But I’m so glad that we decided to watch it together because it made the night so much more fun!

The group was almost equally split between those of us who had seen the show in person and those who had not. I should have seen it a second time by now, but then again if quarantine hadn’t happened I doubt the movie would have been available since it was supposed to come out in theaters next year. But I think I would have enjoyed it just as much if not more if I hadn’t seen it.

It’s rare to see a good movie version of a stage musical. But this does it almost perfectly. I loved seeing the closeups that I never could experience seeing the show live. I love how they do show the full stage and it doesn’t feel like they turned the show into a movie. It just feels like a wonderful and special experience of seeing the stage show.

This was something special to get to watch with friends virtually and I’m glad we could set it up. We probably won’t be doing movie nights with streaming services besides Netflix for now because of the simplicity of the app, but I do hope the other apps fix their glitches and open up to all subscribers so we can expand what we watch.

And besides expanding what we what, I have been expanding who I have been watching movies with. For the most part, it has been the same group that I watch together on Wednesday and Saturday (I call the group the Movie Club). And I do love watching movies with them. Occasionally, I have set up a Netflix Party night with other groups of friends for a one-off movie night. Nothing that is a regular schedule like the Movie Club, but it is nice to get to watch with others.

But this week, I also had my first virtual date using Netflix Party. It was with a guy that I matched with almost a month ago. We have been texting every day and having phone calls a few times a week. We haven’t been able to meet yet (which is so weird to me), but hopefully, we can find a way to safely do it soon. But we wanted to do something different than just talking on the phone so I suggested a movie night on NP. We ended up watching 2 movies (we each picked one) and it was really fun. It was very different from when I have a big group watching, but it was nice and again made it feel like we were having a communal experience. I have a feeling I will have another virtual movie night with him soon.

So many people have said how much harder being isolated would be without technology. And I completely agree. And it’s not just the normal technology like social media and texting keeping me ok. It’s all the new technology things like Netflix Party that helps to bring a sense of normalcy to this very abnormal life. I bet that there will be more apps like this that will help bring people together coming since there is a huge demand for them right now. But I hope they continue because I have enjoyed finding ways to stay connected with friends and family that don’t live near me. I’ve been able to get closer to people while staying away from so many. It’s such a wonderfully weird time we live in.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailGetting Ready For A Fun Rewatch (or More Netflix Parties) Default Thumbnail“A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” (or Doing A Rare Movie Review) Default ThumbnailA Virtual Musical Night (or Trying To Replicate My Routine) Default ThumbnailEnjoying Movie Nights (or Watching My Screeners) Default ThumbnailVirtual Memorial Day (or Doing The Best We Can For Now) Default ThumbnailFinding A Social Life Where I Can (or Virtual Parties and Distance Hangouts)

Comments Off on So Many Virtual Movie Nights (or Thank Goodness For Technology)

Posted in Fun Stuff

Tagged , , , , , ,

Another Virtual Friend Hangout (or Trying Not To Miss A Summer Tradition Too Much)

Posted on July 8, 2020 | Comments Off on Another Virtual Friend Hangout (or Trying Not To Miss A Summer Tradition Too Much)

I remember before this year started, people were so excited when they saw that the 4th of July would be on a Saturday. I was excited too because I knew that meant I wouldn’t have an early morning the next morning. I love the 4th of July BBQs that I go to that Chris and Marie host.

When the pandemic started, I don’t think any of us expected it to last this long. When Memorial Day happened and we had a virtual hangout, I think we all assumed we would be together again soon. Even some of the reports were saying that LA might be able to reopen by the 4th of July. I knew that just because things could reopen didn’t mean that having a party would be safe. But I was using the date as a goal for the future and hoping that things would be starting to get back to how they were before by then.

But that didn’t happen. Cases are growing. We are lucky the death rate isn’t rising at the same speed, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t dangerous. We have no clue what the long-term health effects will be on someone who had COVID. I know people are tired of being home and want to go out and be social, but we just can’t do that now if we want this to be over soon. If more people stayed home and wore masks when they went out, we would be in a better position right now. But because of the actions of others, we cannot have things open and we need to stay home and away from others.

So as much as my friend group wanted to see each other for the 4th of July, it wasn’t possible. None of us wanted to risk the health of others by having a party. Plus, gatherings weren’t really allowed. But since we had already done one virtual holiday hangout, we were prepared to do another one. And that’s exactly what we did.

I wasn’t able to stay on our Zoom hangout as long as I would have liked to, but I was able to be on there for a while and see a lot of my friends. Everyone was so happy to see each other and we were all saying how much we missed being together in person. Some people had some really fun and creative Zoom backgrounds (even background videos) and that made us all laugh. Most of the conversation was just catching up with each other and making sure we are all doing ok. It wasn’t that different from how we spend parties catching up in person, but it felt extra nice to have people checking in on me and making sure everything was going ok.

Many of us live alone, so having some social interaction was really needed. I know I needed it. I still have some days where isolation is a huge struggle for me. I feel like I’m on my own little planet and there is nobody else out there that understands what I’m feeling. I know that isn’t true, but it’s hard to not feel that way. But I have noticed being more open about my struggle has helped as other friends have said they feel the same. Even though we all feel like we are on our own planets, at least we are starting to feel like we aren’t the only one out there feeling like that.

Because of something else I had scheduled on the 4th, I was only able to stay on Zoom for about an hour. But honestly, that hour meant so much to me. I needed that time with my friends. I needed that sense of almost normalcy. I needed to have more than just text messages or social media. I know that I could use some face to face time with friends more, but that’s not an option yet. I have to take what I can, and I need to take advantage of the moments I can get with friends. I felt so much better after just that hour and felt like I could handle things for a bit longer.

The next party that we would all be having together would be Labor Day, but I don’t think any of us are expecting to be able to be together then. It would be amazing if we could, but I think we are all hoping to be together again for Halloween. And we all know the costumes will probably be some of the best yet because it would be our big reunion as a group. I am trying to stay hopeful that by October we can safely be together. But if we can’t I guess we can do a Zoom Halloween party and share our costumes over video.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailFinding A Social Life Where I Can (or Virtual Parties and Distance Hangouts) Default ThumbnailHaving A Lot Of Repeat Days (or More Organizing and More Virtual Hangouts) Default ThumbnailA Special Birthday For A Special Friend (or Celebrating A “College” Friend) Default ThumbnailCelebrating A Friend’s Birthday (or Not Letting Feeling Gross Stop Me From Being Social) Default ThumbnailA Friend Party (or A Casual Hangout And Catchup) Default ThumbnailTrivia Night (or An Unexpected Friend Hangout)

Comments Off on Another Virtual Friend Hangout (or Trying Not To Miss A Summer Tradition Too Much)

Posted in Fun Stuff

Tagged , , , , ,

Trying To Stay Busy (or Doing Lots Of Random Things)

Posted on July 2, 2020 | Comments Off on Trying To Stay Busy (or Doing Lots Of Random Things)

It’s been hard to stay busy during isolation. For a while, I was fine doing a lot of reading and watching things on different streaming services. And I’m still ok doing that from time to time. I am always a big reader, but I feel like I’ve read what I normally would read in a year in the last 3 1/2 months. Thank goodness for the library and e-books, because I would go broke if I had to buy all these books. And there are always new things to watch, so it’s not like I have run out of things. I just have been getting tired of sitting around to pass my time.

I’ve done a lot of random little projects in my house. I have reorganized a lot. I bought new things to change up how stuff looks. I don’t think my house has ever been this clean or organized. And yes, doing some of this has cost money, but I figure it’s money well spent because it’s going toward things that are going to last a while. And I think doing these little projects is the way that I’m going to continue to try to feel busy for a while.

I will run out of things to do around my house. I know it. I thought I ran out of things before, but I found a few more to do. But at some point, there will be nothing else I can do. But I am grateful for the little projects I’ve done recently. For example, I got a new organizer for the top of my desk. It’s like a little shelving unit, but it’s perfect for putting a lot of stuff in one spot instead of all over my desk. And what I did this week was organize all the masks I have gotten.

All of the white ones are just handkerchiefs that I got before masks were easy to buy. I probably won’t use them, but they are good to have just in case. I also have one that a friend made for me and one that I ordered randomly. In the front of the box (the colorful ones) are Disney themed masks and are probably my new favorites because they are comfortable. And I have more masks coming because I ordered some that are meant for working out (so they are sweat-wicking). I feel like we are going to be using masks for a while, so I’m glad I have a few different options. And now they are nicely organized instead of just being in a pile.

Now, I’m looking around my house for other things I can do to occupy my time. It’s getting very specific and they aren’t big or obvious projects anymore. But anything that can take up some time is a good thing right now. I know at some point I will need to think of other things to do, either inside my house or safely outside (like going on driving adventures). But for now, I’m just searching for more house things for me to do.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailA Bookcase Makeover (or A Free Upgrade To My Space) Default ThumbnailJust A Normal Weekend For Me (or Lazy Days Are Surprisingly Busy) Default ThumbnailCatch Up Time (or A Blog With Lots Of Random News) Default ThumbnailAnother Monthly Challenge (or What To Do When You Are Crazy Busy) Default ThumbnailStill Doing More House Projects (or Just Trying To Find Busy Work) Default ThumbnailBusy Busy Busy (or Triple Job Day)

Comments Off on Trying To Stay Busy (or Doing Lots Of Random Things)

Posted in Fun Stuff

Tagged , , ,

Still Trying To Get Back To Normal (or Isolation Monthly Challenges Really Are Not Easy)

Posted on July 1, 2020 | Comments Off on Still Trying To Get Back To Normal (or Isolation Monthly Challenges Really Are Not Easy)

The beginning of another month brings one monthly challenge to an end and the start to another. And these challenges haven’t been my strong point lately. Figuring out challenges to do while I’m stuck at home shouldn’t be as tough as it is. But I’m also lacking some of the motivation I normally have. So even though a lot of the challenges I’ve done before could easily be done while at home, it’s not the same. I’m really trying my best, but I also know that I probably could do more.

My challenge last month was to try to get back on track with my physical and mental health. I really don’t know how to rate myself with that challenge. I think I took some great steps forward but also had some big falls back. I think my physical health had the most progress, mainly because I have figured out a few things that are helping me with food right now. Food is still a huge struggle for me, but anything that makes it a little easier is so nice. But my mental health took some serious swings. I recently had one of the lowest days I’ve had in a while. I got out of it quickly, but being in that type of funk isn’t good when I don’t have a lot of the usual things I can do to feel better.

And that inspired what my challenge will be for this month. I want to find new things that make me happy. I need to almost create a happiness checklist for isolation. What can I do to keep me happy that doesn’t require me to go out? For example, on my happiness checklist, I have going out for a meal because that does make me happy. Getting delivery food isn’t the same. So I need to figure out what else can temporarily replace that on the list. Same with the idea of going out with friends. I can’t do that right now. I need to find something that I can do in my house that gives me some happiness to replace it on the list.

Even though things are starting to reopen here, I don’t know how long that will last or if things will continue to reopen. Some things that have reopened and have needed to be closed again. So as much as I want to believe that things are getting better and I can start venturing out of my house more often, I’m trying to prepare myself for being in isolation at home for a lot longer. I don’t want to believe that it will take until there is a vaccine before that happens, but that might just be the case. If I have to stay home for a year in order to stay healthy then that’s what I’ll do. It’s not easy staying inside and as I’ve mentioned I am struggling a bit, but I have to remember that I’m doing this for a good reason. I just have to make staying home easier and more tolerable.

I wish I would gain some motivation back so I could do some better monthly challenges. But right now, I feel like I’m in survival mode and my brain really can’t take on too much. Maybe if I can find more ways to be happy, next month I can find a better challenge. But if all my challenges while in isolation are low effort like this, then that’s what will have to be. My time right now is not normal. I can’t expect to have my normal motivation either.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailStruggling To Figure Out Challenges Right Now (or I’m Just Going To Try To Stay Hopeful) Default ThumbnailI Feel Like Every Monthly Challenge Is The Same (or Will This Be The Month I Get Back On Track?) Default ThumbnailAn Isolation Monthly Challenge (or Just Trying To Keep Things Going) Default ThumbnailAdjusting Monthly Challenges (or Books And Happiness) Default ThumbnailGetting More Productive (or More Monthly Challenges) Default ThumbnailRecapping My June (or Still Thinking Up New Monthly Challenges)

Comments Off on Still Trying To Get Back To Normal (or Isolation Monthly Challenges Really Are Not Easy)

Posted in Tough Stuff

Tagged , , ,

Another Santa Barbara Day (or A Little Bit Of Social Interaction)

Posted on June 30, 2020 | Comments Off on Another Santa Barbara Day (or A Little Bit Of Social Interaction)

I’ve been in isolation for about 3 1/2 months now. I haven’t left my house much. My biggest adventures in the world have been going to urgent care and seeing my family for a day. I rarely leave my house for errands and have been relying on delivery services (and yes, I do tip generously for the deliveries). Isolation has been tough on me. It’s very lonely. I’m used to being alone, but not lonely. And the lack of social interaction and physical touch is very hard to deal with. But fortunately, last week I got to change that up a bit.

My parents were down in Santa Barbara visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. And since they were there for a few days, they asked if I wanted to come up to see them all. And of course, I said yes! Besides feeling lonely and wanting to be around people, I wanted to see my family!

And I will give this disclosure like I did when I saw my family again. I only went because I had been isolating myself for a length of time without going out for errands. My family is all in medicine and I followed all of their guidance and rules. I didn’t do this without thinking it through or ignoring the fact that we are in a global pandemic. I didn’t know how close I could be to my family or if I was going to be required to wear my mask the entire time. I was prepared for whatever they said.

When I got there, I wasn’t wearing my mask while hanging out with my family because we were able to sit far enough apart. Plus, none of us have really been going out in public at all so we’ve all been pretty isolated for a long time. And it was so good to get to see my family and talk to them in person! I’m grateful for phone calls, texts, and video chats; but there is no replacement for in-person interaction.

And Rory had gotten so big since I had seen him! And his little personality was really coming out. He was very clear in what he liked and what he didn’t like. He had this really adorable look of frustration from time to time. I hated that he was frustrated, but I loved that you could tell that he had so much he wanted to say and express to us. I have a feeling that he will be very chatty as soon as he can talk.

And I got to hold him again too! Because I have been isolated for so long, I was able to hold him without wearing a mask. He’s pretty wiggly and was looking at everything around the house, so it hard trying to get a photo with him looking into the camera. This was the best that I could do.

We spent a lot of time at my brother and sister-in-law’s house, but we also went out for a walk. One of the main streets in Santa Barbara has been turned into a pedestrian-only area, so there was a lot of room to walk around without being too close to anyone else. I hadn’t really been out like that in months, and it was so nice to get to do that. I still was wearing my mask, even without people being that close to us. I have to be careful and cautious and it was an easy thing to do to stay safe.

Once we got back to the house, we had family dinner and then I had to head back home because I had something I had to do early the next morning. But I had gotten to spend a while with everyone and it was exactly what I needed. I needed to feel connected to people again to get ready to go back to being lonely.

I know that I am lucky that I got to do this. Not everyone is close enough to family to go to see them for the day. Not everyone can isolate the way that I’ve been able to so that they can be safe around others. And I am so grateful that I got to do this again. I don’t know when I’ll be back to see family again, so I am just grateful for the opportunities that I have had to see them. And when I can go again, I know that I’ll feel so happy that I can go.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailA Little More Time In Santa Barbara (or Hanging Out With My Sister-In-Law) Default ThumbnailSanta Barbara Weekend (or Family and Friends Time) Default ThumbnailA Santa Barbara Afternoon (or Celebrating My Future Nephew!) Default ThumbnailSanta Barbara Wedding (or Dancing The Night Away) Default ThumbnailSanta Barbara Engagement Party (or Sunburn and Rain) Default ThumbnailA Bridal Shower Celebration (or My Morning In Santa Barbara)

Comments Off on Another Santa Barbara Day (or A Little Bit Of Social Interaction)

Posted in Family, Fun Stuff

Tagged , , ,

Not The Workout Week I Planned On (or Starting To Prepare To Go Back)

Posted on June 29, 2020 | Comments Off on Not The Workout Week I Planned On (or Starting To Prepare To Go Back)

This past week of workouts was not what I expected. I thought it would be a pretty decent week for me, as far as my health goes. I wasn’t expecting to feel any nausea until the end of the week if I felt any. I was excited to see what I’d be able to do.

But my body had other plans.

I wrote about how I got my period very early, so the entire week ended up being pretty rotten. I will say that it was better than it usually is, but this was not what I thought the week would be like. The pain and nausea were there, but I was able to manage it with medication and other remedies I have. The fatigue hit me really hard and that wasn’t easy to get over. I had some serious struggles with the workouts each day, but because I knew what was causing the struggles I wasn’t too frustrated with myself. I wished I could have done better, but I also accept the reality of it.

And I did try to celebrate the workouts that I did do because this past week I completed my 100th Orangetheory class for the year! I’m on track for my goal for the year. Of course, I didn’t expect that I would spend several months doing classes at home. But those still count to me, so I’m excited that I’ve been making steady progress toward my goal for the year.

But soon, I might not be working out at home. As I’ve shared before, the studios are getting ready to reopen. The reopening date is a week away. And while I’ve been hesitant about if I’d go back right away, I spoke to my family who is in medicine and they think it should be fine with the precautions that the studios are taking. Classes were posted in the app at the end of the week last week so we could start booking classes, and I got myself into a few of them.

The class times aren’t the times that I usually go. They are doing a different schedule because they are allowing 30 minutes between classes to disinfect everything. And I have the flexibility with my schedule right now since I’m not working much. So I’m not doing classes as early as I normally go. But I probably will also need the extra time to get ready since I’m so used to only having to walk into my living room to work out.

My regular workout schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. And that’s the schedule I’ve kept while working out at home. But because I know things will be harder in the studio, I have decided to start with 3 days in the studio and 1 day at home. Hopefully, this helps me ease back into my workouts and I don’t get too overwhelmed or too sore.

I will have some new struggles when getting back to the studio besides being weaker than normal. Some of it will be the stress and anxiety about being back and being worried if I’m making the right choice. But I feel pretty comfortable that I am and I know that if anything changes that I can cancel the classes I booked and just do the workouts at home. But the thing I think will be the hardest will be working out in a mask. I did order some fitness-specific masks (I don’t want to use a cotton one as it will be gross when I sweat). And I have heard from people that it isn’t too hard working out in a mask, but you never know. Hopefully, the masks I ordered get here soon so I can do a workout at home with them first.

Since I plan on being back in the studio in a week, this week I’m really hoping to push myself. I want to be in the best place possible when I get back to the studio. I want to be proud of what I was able to do at home, even when I struggled. But no matter what, I am seriously proud of myself for not giving up when it would have been very easy to do so.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailAnother Mixed Motivation Week (or I Might Be Almost Done With At-Home Workouts) Default ThumbnailI Hate Not Having As Much Motivation (or A Week Of Workout Struggles) Default ThumbnailFirst Week of Workouts After The Challenge (or Weird Workout Times) Default ThumbnailA Planned 3 Workout Week (or Medication and Workouts) Default ThumbnailA Short Workout Week (or I Would Have Ended On A High Note) Default ThumbnailAn Up And Down Workout Week (or I Love Having Workout Buddies)

Comments Off on Not The Workout Week I Planned On (or Starting To Prepare To Go Back)

Posted in Fitness

Tagged , , , ,

Still Wondering About The New Normal (or Baby Steps Back)

Posted on June 26, 2020 | Comments Off on Still Wondering About The New Normal (or Baby Steps Back)

I’ve written several posts about my curiosity about what the new normal will be like or my fears about things reopening. It’s a very weird time and I think many people have the same thoughts that I do. In some ways, I want things to be back to feeling normal, and in other ways, I’m terrified about it. I think I was feeling a bit better about it before we started reopening things in LA because it did seem like the number of cases each day was doing down. Now, we are increasing again and that’s not what should be happening.

I know that they said that there may be an increase in cases as things open and that there are other numbers to consider. Some people say the number of people hospitalized is a better thing to track. Some say to only look at the number of people who passed away. I have been watching all the numbers because I really don’t know what is best and I’d rather have a good overall idea of what is happening. And even though I am staying informed, I still am very confused about things and really can’t tell if I should be more or less worried than I am right now. So for now, I’m pretty much not changing what I’ve been doing for the past few months. I don’t really leave my house for anything except essential errands and I try to limit those to once a week. I will have a few other outings happening, but I’m not doing a lot (I’ll write more about those outings soon).

Staying home is really the safest thing, but I know I can’t do this forever. And since I will have to start living my life again eventually, I’ve been trying to plan how to live a bit more normally. I have gotten a lot of masks in different styles because I expect masks to be a part of normal life for a while. I do have some that I think I can use for workouts if I do go back to Orangetheory. I might look into some that seem to be designed for working out. I have some that I feel are cute because I don’t want to just have boring masks. If I’m going to wear them for a long time, I want to make it as fun for me as possible.

For a while, going to get groceries was very stressful for me. Seeing the lines at the stores, worrying about what I would or wouldn’t be able to find when I get inside, and just feeling like I’m experiencing something very weird made me so uneasy. I have been doing a lot of grocery deliveries because it made things a bit easier for me. But I can’t get all the stores I might shop at delivered to me. So I’ve been doing a bit more grocery shopping on my own. And while sometimes I have still had to wait in line, the last 2 times I went to one store I was able to just walk right in. And they had everything in stock so I was able to get everything I wanted. It’s odd that being able to get things I want feels so special. I need to stop thinking like things are scarce and I might not be able to make a plan for shopping. I want to get back into making real shopping lists to work on making meals and not just shopping to see what I can find.

I haven’t done a lot of stuff outside of my house so I don’t know what it’s like to go shopping in stores or eating at a restaurant. I don’t need to do either of those things so I’m fine waiting. But I have been paying attention to the new rules and policies so that I have a better idea of what might be expected if I do venture out to something like that.

Things do change a lot and quickly, so the steps I’m seeing now to the new normal might not be the steps that happen. Being an observer of these policies does help me feel better and since I’m not directly worried about them the changes don’t bother me too much. I just stay on top of knowing what is going on so I am prepared. The new normal is starting and I have no clue how long it will take until I feel like things are really normal again. It might take years until I feel like I can be as comfortable being out of my house as I used to. I hope it doesn’t take that long, but then again I never thought I’d be staying in my house like this for over 3 months.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailSome Of The New Normal (or I’ll Need To Get Used To This) Default ThumbnailFaceTime Repair (or Baby Steps To Prepare Me For Home Ownership) Default ThumbnailBaby Steps (or Trying To Be Proud Of The Little Victories) Default ThumbnailBaby Steps Progress (or Surprising Myself) Default ThumbnailBaby Steps Back To Cooking (or My Check In Kicked My Butt Into Gear) Default ThumbnailBeing A Bit Of A Show-Off (or More Baby Steps)

Comments Off on Still Wondering About The New Normal (or Baby Steps Back)

Posted in Health, Tough Stuff

Tagged , , ,

Being Grateful To Have A Bit Of A Schedule (or Trying To Not Waste My Days)

Posted on June 23, 2020 | Comments Off on Being Grateful To Have A Bit Of A Schedule (or Trying To Not Waste My Days)

With everything pretty much being shut down for the past several months, my daily routine and schedule have taken a serious hit. While I didn’t necessarily love my schedule before, it kept me busy but allowed for a decent amount of free time. I had an idea of what to expect day to day and it allowed me to plan. And in some ways, I have been lucky compared to some of my friends. Many people went from having fully scheduled days to having nothing happening at all. I had a bit of a step down from my schedule, but it was still a shock to me.

The one thing that I have going for me right now is that 6 out of the 7 days of the week I do have something to do. It’s usually not much, but it’s better than nothing. 3 days a week I work for an hour. 4 days a week I have a workout at home. Only one of those days has both things. So I usually have either work or a workout and I do both of those in the morning. It helps to have it in the morning because it prevents me from sleeping in. I’m still struggling a bit with my sleep schedule, but I am getting better and at least my wakeup time hasn’t been affected much.

I am grateful to have that one hour a day that is scheduled. It does create a bit of a sense of routine and normalcy in my life when so much is not normal. I wish I had more of a schedule and routine, but I just haven’t been able to figure out what to add. I know that my moods aren’t necessarily stable right now so I don’t want to force myself to do something if I’m not feeling up for it. But it does mean that there are a lot of days that I haven’t really done much.

I have learned not to judge my productivity based on what I used to do, but it’s not easy to always remember that. I also try to remind myself that sometimes it is ok if I waste a day or two. If I need a lazy day before getting back to doing more, that’s ok. Being gentle with myself is a constant struggle and being in the middle of a global pandemic hasn’t made that easier on me.

I guess I’m also in a bit of a writer’s block moment too because I don’t know what else to write. I’d love to hear if any of you have had the same struggle with trying to create a schedule and what has or hasn’t worked. I have no clue when things will change for me (or for anyone), so I need to figure out how to maximize this time as much as possible.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailContinuing My Home Workouts (or I Really Am Grateful For Orangetheory) Default Thumbnail3 Movies In 4 Days (or I’m Grateful For Free Screenings) Default ThumbnailScheduling Without A Schedule (or Hoping To Make The Most of My Unemployment) Default ThumbnailMaking Busy Days Busier (or I Guess I Like To Maximize Only Certain Days) Default ThumbnailReadjusting (or I Guess I Forgot What It Felt Like To Work My Work Schedule) Default ThumbnailA Weird Workout Schedule (or Out With The Old And In With The New)

Comments Off on Being Grateful To Have A Bit Of A Schedule (or Trying To Not Waste My Days)

Posted in Tough Stuff

Tagged ,

Another Mixed Motivation Week (or I Might Be Almost Done With At-Home Workouts)

Posted on June 22, 2020 | Comments Off on Another Mixed Motivation Week (or I Might Be Almost Done With At-Home Workouts)

As much as I wanted this past week of workouts to be as good as the week before, it just didn’t happen for me. It wasn’t that I was dealing with physical issues (except that I might have tennis elbow again, but that wasn’t really hurting my workouts). I just wasn’t feeling the workouts. This feeling is something that I have struggled with the entire time I’ve been working out at home.

So much of what I love about going to Orangetheory is being with others. I’ve said this so many times in the past few months, but I crave having my friends and coach cheering me on and encouraging me to keep going or to do more. And it’s not just having the environment of a group workout because I’ve done other workout classes and never felt the same way I feel at OTF. There is something special there and you just can’t replicate it at home.

And I have to repeat again that I know that OTF is doing everything they can to help us with the home workouts. They have created challenges, made sure we had a variety of workouts posted online, and those videos have also been pretty funny with what they use instead of weights (like backpacks filled with things or oversized household objects). OTF was not designed to be done as a video workout, and they have done amazingly well with adapting things and taking suggestions from members and changing the videos based on what we were asking for.

I try to use the idea of going back to the studio as part of my motivation. I don’t want to be starting at square one when I get back there. I don’t think I will be as weak as I was when I started, but I know I won’t be anywhere near as strong as I was when the studios closed. I know my cardio ability is down too, and that’s going to be hard to get used to. So I keep reminding myself about those things to try to push myself harder.

But there is a chance that I won’t be doing all my workouts at home for much longer. I still am undecided about going back right when the studios open, but they do have a reopening date. It’s still 2 weeks away and other gyms are opening sooner, so I should be able to see if there are a lot of outbreaks at gyms. I need to make the choice that will make the most sense for me. For my physical health, I think it’s a coin toss between putting myself at risk and being able to work out better. For my mental health, no question going back to class is better for me.

I know that the studio owners aren’t taking the situation lightly. They have opened studios that they own in other parts of the country so they already had a plan about how to try to make things as safe as possible. I know that there will be empty workout stations so you are never next to someone else. Also, you will be the only person using the equipment at your station. Normally, for example, there is someone on treadmill 1, rower 1, and floor station 1. And when we switch you stay with your number, so 3 people use each thing per class. But when things open, if you are on treadmill 1, there won’t be anyone on rower 1 or floor station 1. They also are adding time between classes so they can do 30 minutes of disinfecting after each class. Originally they said that masks would only be required when you are coming into or leaving class. Now, since masks are required more in CA, I know they are working on changing that policy to be the best policy it can be. But for me, if I return I think I will wear a mask for the entire class. I don’t love the idea of having something on my face getting sweaty while I work out, but if that is what I need to do to feel comfortable working out I will do it. I’m not worried about breathing through the mask, it’s really just the idea of being sweaty that I don’t like.

When the studios open, hopefully I will know more about things so I can decide if I will go or not. I go back and forth on how I feel about it. But I need some actual numbers and evidence from other gyms being open for me to know which way is best for me. I also know that if I decide to go when they open that I don’t have to go for all 4 workouts a week. I will still have the option to work out at home. So maybe I’ll do 2 workouts there and 2 at home. I really don’t know. This is what I have been wanting but at the same time, I’m unprepared for it and don’t know what to do.

Now that there is a real date for when the studios will open, I hope that I feel a bit more motivated at home this week. I know when I could get back into class, and I want to be ready for that. I know that this might not be enough motivation for me to do exactly what I want to do, but I’m going to use it if I feel low at all this week. And hopefully, in a few weeks, I’ll be able to write about having a mix of studio and home workouts. And one day in the future, I know I’ll be back to writing my normal workout recaps and they will be all studio workouts!

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailMaking Home Workouts Feel A Bit More Like Studio Ones (or I Do Still Wish I Was In-Studio) Default ThumbnailWhy Can’t I Just Have A Normal Week? (or Another Bad Week Of Workouts) Default ThumbnailSome Of My Best And Worst Workouts (or A New Type Of Home Workouts) Default ThumbnailA Week Of Tough Workouts (or Frustration As Motivation) Default ThumbnailAnother Week Of Home Workouts (or Still Trying My Best) Default ThumbnailMixed Up Workouts (or Not Knowing What To Expect)

Comments Off on Another Mixed Motivation Week (or I Might Be Almost Done With At-Home Workouts)

Posted in Fitness

Tagged , , ,