Quarantine – a word I hoped to never hear again after 2020. But, I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with “quarantine” again this past week after testing positive for COVID two weekends ago.
I talked a bit about this on Instagram last week, but figured I’d share here, too! To be honest, I was a bit shocked that I even tested positive. For one, I am vaccinated (Moderna). I also wear a mask in public and at work. But, two weeks ago I had a stuffy nose. Typically, I wouldn’t have thought anything about a stuffy nose, but we had several friends test positive for COVID with cold-like symptoms recently. Even still, I don’t think I would have gotten tested were it not for the fact that I was planning on participating in my first SPRINT triathlon days after feeling like I had a cold.
So, knowing I was going to be biking and running maskless with hundreds of people, I decided to get a COVID test the morning before the race. And, as luck (or lack there of) would have it, I tested positive! Thankfully, my husband and daughters tested negative. However, because my family members tested negative, that meant that I had to quarantine from them…for over a week…in my bedroom. Woof.
Because I know some of you will ask, I do not know the exact person who gave me COVID. I do have a very well-educated guess as to where I got it though. One of the campuses that I am a speech pathologist at does not have a mask mandate and the teachers and students are dropping like flies.
Before I continue to talk about my time during quarantine though, I do want to pause for a moment and acknowledge that my COVID case was considered mild. I know there are so many men, women, and children who have had it much worse. I know there are people hospitalized and fighting for their lives because of COVID. I know the pain that can come from losing a loved one from COVID. I lost my grandpa in 2020 due to COVID. It’s not easy. So, please know that I do not take COVID or quarantine lightly.
I will be talking today about how I doubled down on my self care during quarantine, but it is not to portray that all quarantine circumstances are like mine. Rather, I hope this post inspires you to create time (forced by quarantine or not) to double down on your own self care because we all need time to love ourselves.
Doubling Down On Self Care During Quarantine
Prior to getting COVID I recall showering and praying (yes I pray often in the shower) that God would give me space to breathe and regroup. The startup of the school year and the ramping up of activities always throws me into a bit of a tizzy. Then days after my prayer, I tested positive for COVID. Now, I’m not going to say it was an answer to prayer because quarantine stinks, but it did allow me to reset.
I remember one of the first few days of quarantine my dad called to check in on my health and my sanity, haha. After hearing I was feeling fine, he asked me if I thought this was a good time to double down on my self care routine. He knows all too well that self care is the first thing to go when I get busy. So, I took him up on his self care challenge because frankly, there wasn’t much else I could do!
So, in case you’re in need of some else care inspiration or curious how to spend your time in quarantine, I’ve shared some of the things I did during quarantine below:
Quarantine Self Care:
- learning to listen to my body: I probably should have phrased this “being forced to listen to my body” because that is a more accurate description. This advice is something I’m sure we’ve all heard along the way. It is also one of the hardest things for me to do when it comes to exercise. I tend to push, push, push, and I learned real quickly that with COVID I wasn’t going to be able to do that. One of my first walks during quarantine, I watched as my pace went from 16 minutes to 18 to 20 to 23. I hated my body for going slow, but I reached a breaking point where I finally gave in and said, “okay, body, I hear you. You’re tired.” From then on, I would take walks and not allow myself to track my pace. It was hard at first, but by the end it was incredibly freeing to just walk to walk and not be consumed by pressures I normally put on myself.
- eating healthy: How easy it is to fall off the healthy eating bandwagon, eh? I was definitely indulging in wine and chocolate more than I should have by the end of summer. But, once I lost my taste and smell, I decided to get back on my nutrition program. After all, why not eat clean and healthy if you can’t taste anything?
- get cleaning!: cleaning is my least favorite chore. I’ve never enjoyed it and still don’t. But, after running out of things to do, I turned on some music and did a deep clean of my room and bathroom. It sounds crazy, but I actually enjoyed it! And, I renewed my love for Branch Basics products. Their cleaning products are clean and y’all, they are legit SO flipping good. I highly, highly recommend them! (PS – use code “FLEURDILLE” for 15% off starter kits)
- skin care: boy did I have time for some good skin care! Wether you have a whole week or just a weekend, it’s so nice to give your skin a break from makeup. I used my favorite charcoal mask twice, and started using this lash boost serum on my eyelashes and eyebrows. If you try the lash boost serum use code “FLEURDILLE20” to get 20% off.
- organization: it’s kind of crazy how soothing organizing can be. I organized my drawers and the jeans in my closet and it was so calming to have everything in it’s place! I twas also nice to clear out the clutter.
- time in the word: getting back into the routine of spending time in the word every day was so nice. It was nice, too, to get to spend longer in my devotionals than normal.
- meditation: whether it was a sound meditation, the 10 minute meditation on the Calm app, or moving through the sun salutations, it was nice to let my body flow and to recenter myself.
- naps: following along with the whole “listen to your body” thing, I allowed myself to take guilt-free naps! I dare you to try it!
- Vitamin D: time outdoors is good for anyone and everyone. Although on quarantine, I snuck out of the house in the evenings when most families were putting their kids down. I took 20-30 minute walks and soaked up the sun and fresh air! It definitely does a body good!
