Coping With the Current "New Normal"

Like everyone else, much of the planning I had partaken in for the remainder of the school year has been completely altered due to the circumstances of the last few weeks. While I had planned to do a post highlighting some of my favorite foods from studying abroad, it feels almost wrong with the strict travel bans and borders closing almost every day. Instead, I decided that this post would be better dedicated to how I personally have been dealing with my relationship with daily routines, especially food, while in quarantine. I want to share how over the last two weeks I have found ways to make food and cooking part of my daily routine, but also ways to not make my entire day revolve around waiting for my next meal.

I am sure you have heard this statement from every mother, father, neighbor and new source out there, but we are truly in a time of uncharted waters in a global circumstance unlike anything in human history. For a generation that loves to make jokes about being addicted to our phones and receiving satisfaction from cancelling plans, we sure do have a VERY hard time with the concept of social distancing. One thing that I keep telling myself is that it is okay to be upset that things and milestones you have planned for are being affected or even getting cancelled, but it is most important to note that you are far from alone in having your plans altered. In short, my cynical side takes comfort in the fact that I am not alone in my suffering. That being said, because there is no end in sight and the importance of social distancing increases with each passing day, it is important to begin to find a new routine in the madness.

My biggest fear when returning home for spring break to begin my personal social distancing journey was finding ways to occupy my day that did not revolve around focusing on my next meal. I will be the first to admit that I am someone who likes to know what I am eating and when as I go into my day. That being said, I have struggled with obsessing over the next meal I will eat and letting it affect my focus on other tasks I need to accomplish throughout the day. So when I heard I would be in Florida alone with my parents for the foreseeable future with announcements of gyms, pools, restaurants and even Disney World closing down for indefinite periods of time, my first thought was what can I possibly do between each meal to make the time pass. While I am still very much in a learning curve and only two weeks in to who knows how long, I feel as though I have already learned a ton about how I will be handling this for the foreseeable future.

One thing that has been extremely important to me in just the past week has been establishing a sense of routine. While many of us had finally gotten into a routine at school, I felt as though the rug was pulled out from under me when I was told I would be going home for the foreseeable future, a place that in my mind serves as a place for me to relax and unwind. I quickly realized I would need to alter my perception of what "being home" entails in order to be successful. For me this began by setting a definitive wake up time every day. On top of waking up at the same time each day, I get up everyday and go on a run with my dad. One huge blow for me in social distancing was the shutdown of all the gyms after I had just begun to feel as though I was getting a strong sense of myself through physical activity and going to the gym. While I let myself mourn the loss of my beloved gym for a day, I realized that was going to help no one so I put on my big girl pants and decided to problem solve. My dad has also been working out extensively in retirement, so we decided to team up in an effort to motivate one another to get up every morning and run. I am very proud to say we have it made it 17 days without faltering, getting into workout clothes and walking out the door to run my town with my dad. We try to mix it up by running new routes each day and saying hi to everyone we see (from a healthy 6 feet apart!). One important note was that because running outside was out of both of our comfort zones, we realized that some days would be better than others. We celebrate each day we are able to get up and run and try not to focus on how far or how fast we run, rather just the fact we are getting up and moving.

Working how food fits into my routine has been a key aspect for me during this time. As I have said, I like to know what I am eating and when, but at the same time not force that to be the only focus of my day. When there is so little to do otherwise, I realized I would have to think about food differently during this time. My dad coined the term “touch points” in regard to finding different activities throughout the day during quarantine to use as a personal check point in order to note that you have accomplished at least SOMETHING for the day. My “touch points” have become my morning runs, coming home and making myself a midday meal, making time to read, attend online classes and complete school work, spend some time in the sun when possible and then finally helping to cook dinner. Though not ideal for everyone, I have found that I only need two meals a day due to the fact I am not doing nearly as much as I would be in my normal routine. Because this cuts off a whole period of cooking and clean-up, I am now putting more effort into the two meals I make. One thing I have found help is that I have been focusing on giving myself a protein packed breakfast, which has left me leaving full longer.

Photos by Frankie Sailer (a few of the meals my family has tried thus far!)

I have always been a huge Tasty fan, and one positive of quarantine is it has given me the time to start making my way through the copious amounts of recipes I have saved. While some of the recipes have been major wins, others we had once and won't have again but I am grateful I was able to scratch the itch in finally trying them. While I try not to make my whole day revolve around food, I find that planning and knowing what I will be making later in the day gets me excited. Another important thing for my family is that because it is just my parents and I, we make sure to sit down and have a proper dinner every night. Though we don’t always have the most exciting accounts of our day to share, we have found pleasure in reflecting on our favorite memories, like family vacations. I’ll be completely honest that it hasn’t been the most thrilling few weeks so far, but I am in a routine where I feel like I have at least some control over my days.

If you made it this far through all my rambling, then you are a trooper. Here are my tips for being successful as the quarantine continues:

Celebrate the little wins. Yes, even getting out of bed before noon can be a win in times like these.

Do not be too hard on yourself! If you sleep in one day, fine, don’t worry about it. Try to find another aspect later in the day you can push yourself more on.

Encourage those around you. You are stuck with whoever you are with for the foreseeable future so may as well have a positive attitude. Spend more time with your mom and learn something about your brother and sister you wouldn’t otherwise know without this free time.

Plan your eating ahead of time. While in a time like this it can be hard to think even a day ahead it is important to have some sort of plan for what and when you are going to eat to help you avoid over snacking.

Step out of your comfort zone! I have been a Tasty fanatic for years and use the app religiously. I finally have the extra free time to try the recipes I have been eyeing for months. I have also begun trying tons of different Instagram at home workouts I have saved over the last few months. They may not all be hits, but you might find your new signature dish or your new favorite circuit workout to show your friends once distancing ends.  

Most of all, be supportive to those who need it when you have the energy to and don’t be afraid to ask for support from friends and family while you are feeling down. In times like these, technology can be an amazing tool in helping you stay connected and receive much needed support from those around you.

While this article developed more into me preaching rather than specifically focusing on food, I found it important and therapeutic to put my thoughts down and paper and think that these strategies could potentially help someone who is stuck in a rut during this “new normal” we are all trying so hard to adapt to. From someone who is constantly too hard on themselves, I urge you to continue celebrating the little wins and to find a healthy middle ground between planning ahead and going with the flow (and to continue to do your duty and social distance!)