the N E W normal.

Life is weird right now, there’s no denying that. We are all in lockdown, not allowed to touch our loved ones and a simple trip to the grocery store has turned into an extensive 3 hour excursion. Gone are the days of brunching with friends, shopping, traveling, hugging people, working, and eating out. I do have faith life will get back to normal, eventually, but things will probably always be a little different. I’m definitely okay with the extreme cleanliness though!

 

None of this is what anyone wanted or expected out of life, but there are some things I’ve been doing daily to make the best out of it.

 

• HAVE A DAILY MORNING ROUTINE

My favorite part of ANY morning is coffee. So, I make sure to make it a routine every day we are locked inside. I get out of bed and my first stop is coffee, then either curling up on the couch or sitting outside (if the weather is nice). I  love throwing on some chill music as well. Then, I’ll follow up with some breakfast and my morning is started!

• WORKING OUT

This has been the part of my quarantine that I’m most proud of! Not only have I chosen to work out daily, but I’ve also been teaching workouts as well! Before the lockdown I was on my way to becoming a Pilates instructor but that was put on hold due to the current situation. So, I started offering virtual Mat Pilates classes to my friends and now I’m doing it almost daily! That’s definitely kept me sane, as well as my own workouts. It keeps me busy and motivated. I never used to work out every single day, but since I started I’ve loved it and I’m looking forward to seeing my progress at the end of all of this!

• COOKING

I’ve always loved to cook but now I can honestly say I’ve never cooked so much in my life! Don’t get me wrong, I love it but it’s definitely a change. I’ve also never used my dishwasher this much EVER! I’ve been cooking almost every meal, everyday and then there’s been some days where I’m just not in the mood so we order take out. I also want to keep supporting local businesses staying open during this time… so take out + pick up are the way to go. Cooking is literally a hobby of mine and makes me SO happy. Doing this more during the lockdown has definitely kept me going.

• STAYING CONNECTED

Oh Facetime, Houseparty, Zoom, etc… you’ve also never been used THIS much in my life! But! I can honestly say, there’s something pretty cool about this new norm. My favorite part is that, for the most part, everyone I know is working from home or just home in general for the lockdown.. so, I can call up my friends and family whenever I  feel like it and I  know they will answer! Before all this, you always had to plan out Facetimes because everyone is always so busy! I’ve definitely caught up with more people than I usually have time to do and stayed connected with all my best friends. It’s been a weird time, but somehow used to it now!

• SOCIAL DISTANCE VISITS

Even though you need to stay 6 feet away from people doesn’t mean you can’t see people in person. Granted, if you’re feeling sick, stay away, but visit if you’re okay! This has been another crucial part to my days because I can’t fathom the thought of not seeing my parents and dogs in person when they live up the street. So, with proper social distancing rules, I go over there every couple days and visit. I’ve also done this with friends and it’s been the best. It’s just not possible to be happy without seeing your people in real life!

• GETTING READY

Last but not least, this has been my #1 thing to keep me going daily with a positive attitude. I don’t care what others do or think, I know for ME that putting my makeup on and doing my hair daily is super important for me to feel motivated for the day. The days that I haven’t “gotten ready” have been super unproductive for me and I’m usually sluggish and in a bad mood. Getting ready adds to the list of something to do, sticks to my “semi-normal” routine and makes me feel like I can conquer it all! All the house projects I’ve done and all the little things I’ve put off have been completed because I  get myself ready for the day. It’s hard being a freelance makeup artist during this time because I’m currently unemployed, so I now just find anything to keep me busy and happy!

 

I  hope this list helps you in some way! Everyone is different, but I know that sticking to some sort of routine is the best thing to deal with this lockdown and this new normal. 

I’ve honestly tried to find the positives in every situation, throughout the past couple months and choosing to be positive is the way to go, I promise you that.

+ if you have any workout, makeup, or cooking questions.. you know who to ask!

 

 

xx, Coco