New York City has been on lockdown for about three months, over 110 days, and about a hundred daily briefings from Governor Cuomo. We are slowly reopening the city and I am admittedly not ready. I am hesitant to deal with people outside my home more than I have to. I am still anxiety-ridden on a daily basis. In between the protests, and coronavirus cases going up and down, my nerves are frazzled. I have had to make a concerted effort to keep my wits about me because I want to avoid a mental breakdown. So I have been finding different ways to keep sane while sheltering in place.

Walking. It’s elementary right? So simple and right in front of you. Walk off your blues, shake the cobwebs from your brain. Get in those 10,000 steps while social distancing. All of those feel good hormones start rushing through your system and the fresh air and sunshine will immediately life your mood. Don’t forget your mask.

Meditation. Use the free trials and website to get started on your routine of finding peace at home. People will start to get on your last nerve when you are stuck at home without your usual outlets for relief. One app, in particular, is Headspace, they’ve teamed up with the City of NY to give access to about thirty meditations and sleep stories. While the city was eerily quiet and then super loud from fireworks, meditation will work wonders.

Yoga. Sure yoga studios are still closed. I can’t imagine sweating that close to anyone right now. But I can still find my zen and get my all over body stretch that you will definitely need. I love the unpretentious attitude of Yoga to the People live-stream classes, watch prerecorded videos, or listen to the podcast. Donations are always welcome there. If you are on a more advanced route, you can workout with Blogilates by Cassie Ho. She’s so energetic and charismatic, you’ll find it easy to follow along.

Keeping in touch. Talking to friends and family through video apps and voice notes. Talking about your stress is a way to bond and also touch base that you are not wrong in your feelings and with family, it will be fairly easy and comfortable. Chatting through text is okay but, it leaves so much room for error with tone and context. I use Whatsapp and Google Duo for video app so I can see each other’s facial expressions.

Cooking. During the lockdown, bread making has become a big trend. The sourdough starter was everywhere on my Instagram feed. I love to cook and because of that, I follow a bunch of celebrity chefs on social media. To cure their own boredom, I suppose, and to keep the creative juices flowing. They’ve taken to doing Instagram lives and long forms videos for IGTV of their famous techniques and favorite recipes.

Cooking allows me to slow down and focus on something besides the bad news on the television. My favorite picks are Dominique Ansel, creator of the cronut, for baking, Padma Lakshmi for Indian food, Chef Ludo for French cooking, and David Chang for Korean fusion. There’s no excuse to eat the five same meals with all this free help available. OOn that note you can look forward to the fact that I’ll be sharing some of my own recipes in future posts.

Medical Care. Even though most doctor’s offices aren’t available to visit in office yet, you can have virtual visits. If you do feel that you are n the edge because you are in a toxic situation there is help still available there are NYC hotlines to get you the help you need. You can also use apps to talk to a licensed therapist. Talkspace is a popular app that charges much less than a formal visit. Another option is the Better Help app.

New York City has set up locations to get tested for Covid-19 for free to isolate the spread and flatten the curve. I went ahead and got tested because I am immuno-compromised and live with others who are also in the same boat. And getting tested for a full battery of tests is smart at this point because underlying health issues leave you susceptible to harm, later on, so have yourself fully checked out during this uncertain time.

What are you doing to keep sane while sheltering in place? Have you done any of the things that I’ve mentioned? I would love to hear your side of it in the comments below.

Until our next rendezvous…

XOXO

Trudy