The last 75 days I have been home due to the shelter in place order that the governor of Pennsylvania has placed on our state during the coronavirus pandemic. In the beginning, I was working from home but then was placed on furlough. I wasn’t working anymore and had to rely on unemployment money to pay my bills. I was worried about how I would spend my time and if I would go crazy trying to get through the day.
I love being at home and spending time with my cats but, I also love traveling, shopping, and spending time outside. It was quite an adjustment to stop all those activities and have to spend all my time indoors. At first, I was just trying to keep myself busy by doing different activities but that didn’t last too long. So instead I was determined to use all this free time that I had to become a better, more organized person. I had to create a daily routine for myself to keep busy. Sticking to a routine has helped me use my time wisely and not waste the day away playing Animal Crossing.
Monday-Friday I follow this hourly schedule to help me stay on track with my blog and personal goals. To keep the weekdays and weekend separate, I don’t have a schedule for Saturday and Sunday. I keep those days free to do activities that bring me joy.
Here are the 5 healthy and positive habits that I plan to continue with after the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted:
TRACKING MY WATER INTAKE
Before working from home, I would try my best to stay hydrated and drink a lot of water but I always felt that I was never drinking enough. Since being at home, I have been attempting to drink half my body weight in ounces of water. That would be around 60 ounces of water, which is equivalent to 2 quarts of water. I purchased a reusable water bottle that is 24 fluid ounces, so all I have to do is drink 3 full bottles of it each day. It seems like a lot of water at first but very achievable. I drink one full water bottle during my daily workout alone!
Drinking more water each day is said to have a number of health benefits and have a positive change in your life. You’ll have more natural energy, clearer skin, and, feel less bloated. After this lock down period has ending, I will be continuing to track my water intake to ensure that I stay hydrated and healthy!
READING FOR 30 MINUTES
I was never the type of person who enjoyed reading in their free time, I thought that there were better things that I could be filling my time with. There were numerous books simply sitting on my bookcase in my room waiting to be read so I decided that it was time to start reading them. The first book I started reading was Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis and it was the best book I’ve ever read. Her books are very motivating and were just what I needed to inspire me to work hard on my blog.
As you can see on my daily schedule above, 4 pm every weekday is reading time. You can find my sitting in the comfy chair in my room that faces a big window with the sunlight pouring in. I usually read for about 30 minutes and I look forward to that self-care time where I turn my phone on silent and put all my attention into the book. When I eventually go back to work, I hope to continue reading a few chapters each day maybe after dinner.
EXERCISING 3-4 TIMES A WEEK
Before the coronavirus hit and we were all forced to stay at home, I would never workout. I don’t enjoy running or going to a gym filled with people who love lifting weights and being all sweaty. However, I am not as active as I was when I was at work. My full-time job is very hectic and I was constantly running all around to get things done. Now that I am home, I’m not getting as many steps in and being active, so I had to get some form of exercising to stay healthy. I found an amazing home workout app called Daily Burn that I cast right to my television screen and follow along with their workouts right in my living room. I stared with a free trial and amazed myself that I was able to workout 4-5 times a week.
Each weekday when I finish reading, I move all the furniture in my living room to workout for 30 minutes. You can read all about my daily at-home workouts in a blog post that I wrote a few weeks ago. I am so proud of myself for working out each day and achieving one of my new year’s resolutions! I sincerely hope that I can continue to make time each day to work out and keep my body healthy and in shape.
TAKING A DAILY WALK OUTSIDE
When I was working my 9-5 job that was an hour’s drive from my home, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to get outside and take walks. During my time at home, I made a point to take daily walks to help my mental health and to get some exercise in. When you are stuck inside all day, you look forward to a change of scenery and walking for 20 minutes around your neighborhood or a park. I’ve explored many parts of my town and have enjoyed taking in all the beauty of nature. I like feeling the sun on my face, listening to the bird’s chirp, and seeing all my neighbor’s porch decorations. My boyfriend and I have also taken the time to go hiking around local nature trails.
Even on days when the weather is not the best, I still try to make an effort to sit outside on my porch to take in the fresh air. I’ll even bring my laptop outside to get work done. Even after the lock down is lifted, I want to make a conscious effort to walk more, even if it’s around the parking lot at work.
COOKING MORE MEALS AT HOME
One of the perks of my job is that we have a restaurant in our building that I would order breakfast and lunch from 3-4 times a week. Their food was delicious, cheap and I would try to eat their healthier menu items. However, I relied on them heavily when I wasn’t in the mood to pack lunch for the next day or if I didn’t have time to eat breakfast before work. Since being at home, I have been cooking a lot more and trying new and fun recipes. Finally, I had the time to try out all these tasty recipes that I saved to my food Pinterest board. While I do still order out once a week, I am proud of myself for cooking more and not letting the food in our refrigerator go to waste.
While I won’t have all the time to cook these fancy meals when I go back to work, I honestly hope that I will continue to make an effort to pack a lunch and not spend money on food every day at work.
All great things that we should all try and add into our every day lives! I think lockdown has definitely encouraged a lot of us to think about our habits! I definitely want to continue reading more and working out more!
I hope we all can stick with these habits!
I’ve been implementing a routine lately too! It’s so important for your well being and mental health. Thank you for sharing these tips 🙂
So glad that I could help!
Cooking more meals at home is one I really want to do more of! Reading is good one too x
They are both great habits!
These are all things we should be adding to our everyday lives! It’s lovely to read that you want to continue to do all of these things after lockdown has ended! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I hope to keep up my readings!
Thank you for sharing this! Lockdown has really given me more time to set goals and focus on where I’m at with things so I hope that will continue 🙂
That’s so great!
Love this! Some habits I would like to continue are daily walks with my dog, gratitude journalling, taking more time to talk to friends and family, and writing everyday. Thanks for this!
Those are great habits to continue!
I finally started reading fiction books during quarantine and I won’t be stopping anytime soon.
That’s so great! Reading is a great habit!
I’ve been reading more like you but the biggest change is that I’ve actually started to enjoy cooking new meals!
That’s great! Home cooked meals are the best.
Love these! Definitely some things here I need to add to my routine, I’ve got out of the habit of doing workouts so should probably start that again!
I actually look forward to my daily workouts now! They are a great way to release stress
This is such a great post! I’ve been trying to do the same. I am back to work now, but I am trying to continue my at home workouts and taking daily walks outside too. As well as cooking more meals at home too! Thanks for sharing!
That’s great that you’re trying to keep doing those activities!
I am so sorry to hear you were put on furlough! I was also put on furlough for the time being and it’s rough. I’m glad to see that you’re able to make the most of your day during lockdown!
I have been working out on and off during this whole time. I think staying inside has made me lazy! I miss when the gym was open because it motivated me to go, since I was paying for it. 😛
Yay, high five to making meals at home! When I was working, I was never really cooking at home. But since staying in, I’ve been cooking more~
Staying home all the time has made me lazy too but I have to motivate myself daily to get my work done, workout, and eat healthy meals.
These are wonderful habits! I really like the scheduled reading time. I should try making a schedule like this! Thank you for sharing this.
I read for 30 minutes each day it’s great! I look forward to it everyday.
I love your timetable. I may make one of my own. I do have a schedule as I’m a retired nurse and believe structure is necessary. You’ve reminded me I need to work out more!
So glad that I could inspire you!
I can relate to this post so much. I’ve also created a “quarantine schedule” to help me stay on track with my blog, workouts, healthy habits, etc. I definitely plan on keeping up with my workouts and walks.
Also, have you tried Pamela Reif’s youtube workouts? I think you’d love them, if you’re into home workouts.
Much love always,
GABBY | http://www.gabbyabigaill.com
Oh thank you so much for the suggestion, I’ll have to check out some of her workouts!
Yes to all of these! I’ve definitely developed lots of good habits I want to keep up! I really want to keep reading and cooking for myself once life goes back to normal!
I hope you get to keep up with all your good habits!
I love this! I fell out of a routine pretty quickly but I need to get back at it! This post remotivated me so thank you. xx
So glad that I could help you!
I must say lockdown’s had many advantages for me. It was good to stop for a little bit and really focus on what I really want. I also have some new habits I will definitely continue. Thanks for sharing!
I agree with that, lockdown has really taught me to slow down and think about what is really important in my life.
Great suggestions! I’ve noticed more time in my schedule despite being back at work (4 days instead of 5) and I should really work on some of these. I also n3ed to make time after lockdown!
Xx Maeve
I hope my post could help you!
I love all the healthy habits that this lockdown has encouraged. It’s so good to develop mindfulness in a time that we could definitely lose our minds in.
Yes it’s so important to keep up with these healthy habits for our mental and physical health.
I can relate so much to this post! Over quarantine, I too started exercising a lot more, taking daily walks, waking up at the same time consistently and became a reader. Great job on becoming an organized person, and I hope you will check out my latest on how quarantined has changed me.
I will definitely check out your post!
These are such great habits! I practice or try to practice the majority of these as well. I hope to keep it going, especially the cooking because I’m so proud of myself with the things I’ve tried!
I wish you luck with keeping up your daily habits!
Great read! And awesome that you took this time to create healthy habits. I have been challenge in this area and I love the example you have set. Thank you for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed my post!
It is great that you’re tracking your water intake. I need to do a better job of this! Keep it up with the exercising!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
Thank you!
This is such an awesome post! I too LOVE Rachel Hollis. She has a new book coming out in September too and I am so excited for it. I have been trying to keep the water intake, exercising, and eating at home more in my daily life as well! Love your post. :]
I must buy her new book!!!
It sounds like despite the difficulties at the moment, you’ve really found a balance that works for you. It’s great you’ve been able to indulge in some new hobbies and explore your local area more. And having a schedule is a great idea! I hope you’re able to continue the things you’re enjoying.
Lindsey | https://aramblingreviewer.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much for your kind words! I have really been trying to keep up my daily routine for the sake of my mental and physical health.
Cooking meals at home is definitely something that I would continue! Realised how wonderful it feels to make something on your own and then eat it! It’s so fulfilling ✨👩🍳
Yes it’s great! There are so many recipes that I want to try!
Oh my goodness YES to all of these! I defiantly want to continue cooking most nights, walking and reading as well. Great post 🙂
So glad you liked my post!
These are great habits! I absolutely need to get into the water tracking one, it’s hard to accurately measure intake when you’re just guessing! Thanks for the tips!
Cyn | cynspo.com
That’s why I purposely checked my water bottle to see how many fluid ounces that it holds. I figured out that I only need to drink 3 full glasses of it everyday! It’s very doable.
These are exactly what I would pick too. Great post!
Thank you so much!
This is a great post! I’m hoping to continue exercising regularly once lockdown has been lifted, as I never really took it seriously beforehand xx
Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/
Me either haha! I’m actually quite proud of myself for working out a lot during the last couple of months.
I love that lockdown has helped so many people cultivate good habits, and it is awesome that people are becoming more mindful. There are so many little things I have come to be grateful for that I want to carry with me into the new world. 🙂
I think being forced to stay at home has made a lot of people really think about their lives and what makes them happy.
Yes, I understand your point. Our habits need to adjust to a healthier new normal. Thank you for sharing these tips.
So glad you enjoyed my post!
These are all such great tips! I will miss the routine, but I also am trying to stick to daily habits to keep my mental health in check xo
Makeup Muddle
That’s great!
I hope that I can maintain all of my new habits once lockdown is lifted! I too have started daily walks, yoga, reading, and it’s been sooo refreshing 🙂
I hope we can both keep up with our new habits when our busy life returns.
Great post. I love looking at other people’s routines. I think we have a tendency to judge ourselves too harshly that we aren’t doing enough. I will definitely be keeping up the daily walk too. I didn’t go until later on today because it was raining and already I could feel the effect on my mood.
Lots of love, Helen x
https://www.whathelenloves.com
So glad you keep up your own daily routine!