A Day in the Life: Pandemic Edition
We’ve officially been in quarantine for over 30 days, and while it has been difficult to find a new daily routine, I’ve learned to find comfort in the unknown by taking my days one step at a time. Below is an example of my experience as a senior at CU during this pandemic.
8 am
I try to wake up at the same time every day to feel a sense of normalcy and control, but of course it’s not perfect. I’ve found 8am to be the perfect happy medium for me — it’s early enough that I have the full day ahead of me but I won’t fall exhausted mid-day. I try to get up from bed immediately and drink water, avoiding sitting on my phone for too long. My two housemates are normally sleeping during this time so I enjoy the quiet.
8:15 am
I’ve been loving stretching or going on walks outside (weather permitting) first thing in the morning — it helps cure my cabin fever and clear my headspace. Through trial and error, I’ve found I need to implement some sort of movement first thing to avoid feeling distressed from having to stay inside.
9:00 am
Once I’m done with some light exercise, I attempt to “get ready” for the day, which for me means showering and throwing on a comfy pair of loungewear. I have yet to wear jeans and it will probably stay that way. Just washing off and changing my clothes helps me feel put together. I used to stay in my pajamas in the beginning and it made me feel sluggish and unproductive.
When I’m ready for the day I head to my desk and set it up. Because I also sleep and hangout in my room, I’ve developed a ritual of setting up my desk space in a way that differentiates it from the typical associations I have with my room. I wipe down the desk top, light a candle, plug in my laptop, set up a notebook with my favorite pen, and have a cup of coffee with me. Just taking a few minutes to set up my work space helps me enter school-mode with a fresh outlook.
9:30 am
First Zoom class of the day. By this point I’m usually munching on some fruit or whatever I chose for breakfast and have my headphones in. It’s still difficult for me to concentrate, but like all of us, I try my best to take notes and participate in class discussion. I fill out my planner fervently to help stay on track with assignments, as I find it all much harder to manage these days. My teachers have all been very empathetic and understanding — it helps to know we’re all in this together.
11 am
Now I’m ready to move my body again, but this time around with more intensity. I’ve been loving finding new yoga videos online to follow. My sister and I often Facetime each other and complete a workout video together — she not only holds me accountable, but makes it a lot more fun. After the class we usually stay on the phone for another half hour to chat.
Lots of Colorado yoga studios and fitness centers are offering online classes, here are a few of my favorites: Compass Fitness, Mountain Soul Yoga and the CU Rec Center.
12:30 pm
Second Zoom class of the day. I’ve been trying my best to stay hydrated and fueled during classes, as I often get headaches from staring at the screen for so long. Today, I was low on groceries so I ordered HungryBuffs for lunch and ate it during the first 20 minutes of my English class. We talked about our upcoming essay due the following week. We also discussed this article from the NY Times.
2 pm
I’ve been facetiming the two kids I nanny for twice a week. It’s as beneficial for them as it is for me — it’s great to see different faces and connect. This day we colored “together” and made positive signs to post on our windows. It was giggly and therapeutic; I highly recommend reaching out to the youngins in your life.
3 pm
I return to my work space after the video chat to look at the growing to-do list in my planner. I start researching for the essay my last class assigned and went through my emails. I normally have a tea with me to help make the whole experience more exciting, but after as little as 45 minutes I’m ready for a break. Reading this article helped me feel better.
4 pm
As a quarantine gift, my roommates and I got a Nintendo Switch and have been battling each other on Mario Kart. I’ll play this for probably a little too long. If it’s nice out I may go on another brisk walk during this time and either call my parents or listen to a podcast. My favorite right now is Armchair Expert.
5:30 pm
I like to plan my day around meals — I mean, who doesn’t? Tonight I’m making a meal from Green Chef, a really nice meal delivery service. It limits my runs to the grocery store and helps me prepare home cooked meals, a big comfort right now.
7 pm
Clean room. Read news of the virus. Journal. Watch movie. Read news. Text Grandma. Read one of my favorite author’s Day in the Life.
9 pm
Before bed, I like to revisit my to-do list for the next day so I can feel a sense of purpose. Sometimes I’ll even schedule what workout video I’ll do.
After, I’ll talk to my boyfriend. This night we talked about how difficult it is for many CU students who rely on the CRC, which is now closed because of the pandemic. He thought about writing an article on how the pandemic is affecting substance abuse. It got me thinking, so much so I found it hard to fall asleep, but just like every night, I eventually do.
Lexi Reich is the Blog Administrator for the Honors Program Student Advisory Board. She is graduating in May with a dual degree in English and Journalism and with a certificate in Interdisciplinary Writing. After finishing her Honors Thesis, she spends most of her time finding publications to freelance to these days.
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