Some Upsides of Social Distancing, Part I

Black and white photo of a toddler walking up stairs in a hillside

Here in my relatively isolated part of Tennessee, I’ve been doing the social distancing thing for about four weeks now. While my daily life has shifted drastically, I’m very lucky that I continue to have a steady salary, have not contracted the coronavirus, and have not lost any loved ones to COVID-19. I acknowledge that I write this post from a place of significant privilege, and my heart goes out to the many, many people who are suffering terribly because of the pandemic.

For the fortunate folks like myself, I think it helps to look on the bright side as much as possible. Adapting to this new (temporary) normal was challenging, and several weeks ago, I felt a lot of fear and anxiety. But I’ve settled into my current way of life, and it’s really not so bad. There are things that I miss, of course, but there are also significant secondary benefits to social distancing. In this series of posts, I’ll highlight some of the good things, as I see them. (I’m taking these a few at a time because finding the quiet time and focused energy to write long blog posts is is difficult now that I’m working from home with a toddler.)

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My Morning Routine

Sunrise over lake

A couple months ago, I wrote that I intended to wake up extra early after the fall time change to work on some personal goals. Unfortunately I came down with a nasty case of strep throat a week after the time change, and I was sleeping a ton while I was sick, so my plan to trick my body into thinking the time change hadn’t happened was unsuccessful. But I managed to get somewhat back on track after I recovered, and while my record of sticking with this routine is not 100%, it’s going pretty well. I like the extra bit of energy and peace I get from exercising and meditating early in the morning. Having some quiet time to myself is a nice way to start the day, even if I do seriously struggle to drag myself out of bed some days.

I enjoy reading about how other people spend and manage their time, and I thought some of you might like to read about how I have organized my mornings, particularly now that there’s a baby in the mix (spoiler alert: this routine only works because the baby usually sleeps pretty late and I have someone else helping to get him ready for daycare). Here’s what a typical weekday morning looks like for me right now:

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Making the Most of the Time Change

Pastel drawing of a sidewalk light at night

Today is the last day of Daylight Saving Time for 2018, and at 2:00 tomorrow morning, our clocks will reset to 1:00.  Unless, that is, you live in one of the jurisdictions that has shunned the outdated practice.  The modern wisdom of Daylight Saving Time is debatable.  It can have negative health consequences and is of questionable economic benefit.  But for most of us in the United States, changing our clocks twice a year is unavoidable, so we might as well try to use it to our advantage.

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Here’s What Self Care Looks Like to Me

Charcoal drawing of a woman’s head with eyes closed

Charcoal drawing of a woman’s head with eyes closed

My son and I both came down with a cold this week (not surprising given that he started day care last week), so this seems like a good time to discuss self care.  Over the past few years, the concept of self care has taken over the internet, with women’s websites constantly telling us we need to escape from our lives and indulge ourselves with expensive products, time-consuming rituals, and unhealthy splurges — as if we need one more thing to do.  (Ever notice that these self-care articles rarely seem to be directed at men? I guess the assumption is that they already know how to take care of themselves.)

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Let’s Talk About Sleep

A koala sleeps in a tree

I recently heard an interview of Dr. Michael Breus, a sleep specialist and author of The Power of When: Discover Your Chronotype — and the Best Time to Eat Lunch, Ask for a Raise, Have Sex, Write a Novel, Take Your Meds, and More. That got me thinking about sleep.

I need 7-8 hours of sleep a night to function well. I can occasionally get by on 5 or 6 hours if necessary, but generally only for one night. When I don’t get enough sleep, I’m not just sleepy and ineffective; I get physically ill. Sleep deprivation is a reliable precursor to a headache, and as a lifelong migraine sufferer, headaches can be bad news for me. When I chronically get less sleep than I should, my immune system takes a noticeable hit, and I’m likely to come down with a cold. Therefore, I prioritize sleep. Even during law school and while working demanding private practice jobs, I almost always got 7-8 hours of sleep each weeknight. (I didn’t sleep very well last night, for no apparent reason, and I know I’m going to be feeling the effects of that poor sleep later today).

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