Basic Routine Brings Order During Quarantine

I find that having a basic routine helps to shape my day. The routine, however simple it may be, has brought a  modicum of  stability and control to my life during this open-ended COVID-19 Pandemic.

MORNING ROUTINE: 

1. Wake 6:30 a.m. I set an alarm each night so I don't sleep too late. When I sleep too late, I languish and can spend hours in bed, reading the LA Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post,  CNN alerts, Twitter and LinkedIn.  The more news I read, the more my addiction to news takes over. The more my addiction takes over, the more my anxiety level increases.  It's a vicious cycle!

2. Get out of bed.

3. Go to kitchen. Turn on the coffee. 

4. Feed the cats while the coffee drips through.  Yes, we still drink drip coffee. No pods in this household. I love the smell of fresh coffee!

5. Open the shades to greet the day.

6. Select a coffee mug. I have a large assortment. The ritual of choosing my coffee mug makes me happy because each one reminds me of some place I've been or  of the person who gave it to me.

7. Pour coffee.

8. Journal.  My daily practice is to write something every day.  These days, I begin every entry with the date,  followed by Pandemic  day # sheltering in place.

9. Write for 20 minutes.

10. Read NY Times morning briefing. 

11.  Gentle Yoga. Three times a week.

12. Shower. 

13. Personal Care: This may include washing my hair, blow drying my hair, plucking my eyebrows if needed and applying face cream and sunblock. I do this most days so I don't descend into feeling like a slug.

14. Make the bed. This helps me start and end each day with some order.

15. Eat breakfast. Yogurt with granola.

16. Go to work.  This means remote teaching while school is in session, Zoom rehearsals or finding a personal creative outlet like writing, watching a webinar, reading or improving my technical skills.

17. Eat lunch.

18. Go back to work.  (See # 16) 

19.  Take a walk. Wear mask.


EVENING ROUTINE:

20. Prep dinner. In my household, cooking for four people has been a blessing. I love to cook so meal preparation brings me joy. I've experimented with a lot of new recipes and have fixed more versions of chili than I care to admit.

21. Glass of wine. Yes. This has become a routine. We have separated our wine into weekday and weekend selections to reserve the good stuff for weekends only. It's a thing now.

22. Eat dinner together. This has become a nightly ritual. We come from our various corners, out from behind our doors, computer screens and devices to have real "face time."

23. Play Mexican Train dominoes. This game has become a favorite. It's great because you can pick it back up in subsequent rounds.

24. Clean and sanitize kitchen. 

25. Get ready for bed. 

26. Sit in my chair. This may seem silly but I love my chair. It makes me happy.

27. Watch Netflix, Amazon or something on television. I've now finished Ozark and UnOrthodox.  We are currently watching Season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 2 of Mozart in the Jungle and SGN when there's a new episode.

28.  Watch Chris Cuomo on CNN.  Need to check in on him each night to see how he's doing.

29.  Switch to Frasier. 

30.  Go to sleep by 11:00

Other Rules:
Do not compare myself with others.
Stay in touch with friends and family.
Pray.
Do not judge my productivity level.
Be kind.
Walk away when the tension gets too much.
Be grateful.
Look for the positives.
Embrace technology don't resist it.
Maintain Beginner's mind.