how I try to better myself during the quarantine

PSA: This is not the right wrist posture

Well... Let's see. I guess too many YouTube results to the heavily-influenced title. But I thought, yeah, why not, those attract many these days, so maybe a lot of people find it useful.

Perhaps.

Anyway, not a holy-grail in and of itself, but even though at days I have my low tide (wrote about this few posts ago), I do find a significant solace that quarantine provides and how it actually offers the opportunity to develop myself in a way that my previous routine cannot. Basically, for those of us who are privileged to be able to work from home, the key is in how we have more autonomy against our time.

So yeah, without further ado, here goes the things I have developed since quarantine:

1. Stick with my sleeping time

I realized the importance of a routine bedtime way before the quarantine. I also found joy in waking up early and having more things done in a day. But, my previous routine just simply can't afford me to do so. I'd work until late at the office, hang with colleagues or friends, had a night out, or the unmissable early morning/late night flight schedule. It was impossible for me to keep a simple 30-day streak of regular sleeping time. But now? Yes, why not.

Coupled that with reading Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. Oh didn't the book spook me (my review about it here). But it effectively drove me to the urgency of having a healthy sleeping habit and the recommended 8 hours a day. These days, I put myself to bed at 10 PM and naturally wake up at 6 AM. No alarms, no surprises. Why this matters so much to me is also because I used to have a terrible sleeping time. There were times I'd wake up in the middle of the night and struggling to get back to sleep for hours. And boy, didn't I hate that with insurmountable depth. It's great, try it, good sleep does wonder to our overall well-being.

2. Exercise, every morning

Again, not something entirely new. But the same as above, not something I couldn't absolutely adhere to. The random sleeping time resulted in the random wake up time, add the traffic, meeting schedules, flights (again).. Unless I woke up at 3 AM and exercise like Matt Wahlberg it was simply impossible. But now by waking up at 6, I can still laze about, start my exercise at 6.30, take a shower and all, and still be ready to start my work at 8. Wonderful.

Oh, the reason I mention this is also because with us being home all day, physical workout raises way more essential. It was important, it is now important more than ever. For obvious reasons, being home has been limiting us from our daily commute and walks. Our previous 10,000 steps every day might have reduced to.. I don't know how often do we make that bedroom-kitchen commute? So yeah, I'm grateful I able to do that now.

3. Clean eating

Another thing I previously found really difficult to comply with. Being outside offers way too much temptation or just limit the possibilities of wanting to eat clean. Picture a lunch meeting at an Italian restaurant, starving on a flight, or a meetup in a bar. I find joy in good food, it's one of the best things in life, so I am those people that just couldn't say no. Yes, it's me that lack of discipline, lol. But for those of us who have been wanting to start eating healthier, this is the time. Cook, meal-prep our week. Again, autonomy is the ingredients here.

A nudge for me is learning a bit about Ayurveda. I am not an avid follower, but I admire their way of embodying you are what you eat principle. I would recommend you check it out if you need just a little bit more push. What I learned is, to eat healthily is a form of valuing myself.

4. Practice instrument

Or language, or any kind of new skills. We already know the key to learning: allocate time to practice it every day. There we have it now. I have been so much in love with my new ukulele that just arrived last week and the progress I have made with it outdone my violin that I picked up in my college year (where I only practice it three days a week). The best thing is, I can have it by my side anytime now and just pick it up whenever I get the chance. Ten minutes free-time waiting for that next call? Instead of browsing around, I can now just pick it up and learn another song. Of course, that'd be funny image doing it in the office, but it just occurs to me all those free time we have at the office, accumulated, can mount up to... Ok, I'm not going to get to that.

5. Read more, write more

Applying the exact same principle with the previous point. I have always loved reading and I used to utilize my commuting time in MRT/flight time to read. Now,

6. Buy less

Quarantine has made me realized how the things I need are very much less. It is helpful not having to go outside, so instantly omit all of that clothing shopping (a trip to Uniqlo usually shackled me with at least a top.. or two). Shoes, bags, mandatory drink purchases to legitimately sitting down in a coffee shop, and all. Perhaps in a couple of weeks, I'll start Marie Kondo my things. We'll see.

Well, that's for me. But you know, it's a 2-month journey so far. For any kind of self-improvement, as I learn myself, what matters are the progress and the continuity. In order to reach the later points, though, it is important to tread a fine balance between excitement and mundanity. I am easily bored and hate the feeling of being boxed in, so it's as important to give myself a break and not to fall prey to my own things.

I hope you're enjoying your time.

Xx