YouTubers’ Tips I Tried for Coronavirus Lock-Down

The coronavirus has affected everyone. After the shelter-in-place order, I became suddenly unemployed and unmotivated. My first week primarily consisted of pajamas, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and stress.

By the end of my first week at home, I was beginning to feel lost and purposeless. But during my endless social media scrolls, I came across two videos: Jenn Im’s “10 Things to Do At Home” and bestdressed a.k.a. Ashley’s “tips for working/studying from home.” They had some suggestions on what to do when confined to a certain space, so I decided to give some of their advice a go.

Here are some of their tips that I’ve incorporated into my lock-down life:

Create a morning ritual/time schedule

• Before coming across these videos, my days were directionless. I would spend a shit ton of time on social media, attempting to be productive while at the same time, not being productive whatsoever. Creating a routine has been a game-changer because it gives me a sense of control and organization in this chaotic time.
• My routine looks like the following:
  • Drink coffee and one glass of water while journaling for about 30 mins.
  • Exercise! My workout includes yoga, a walk around the neighborhood, an ab workout, and a glutes workout. Jenn stresses in her video, “Moving and getting the blood pumping helps your immune system.”
  • Get dressed for the day.
  • Work on blog/work-related things with breaks.
  • Make dinner. Jenn also mentions how this is the perfect opportunity to cook/bake new things. It’s so true! I’m really learning my way around the kitchen now.
  • Relax with evening activities.

Get dressed in the morning/experiment with makeup looks

• Ashley said, “Something about clothes that are slightly uncomfortable makes you work harder.” And I really believe that there’s some truth to that. Pajamas represent comfort and rest, whereas everyday clothing represents a necessity to get work done. I like to follow the motto: dress for success.
• As for experimenting with makeup, Jenn expresses that this is a great chance to practice. I have been using makeup as a creative tool.

Create work rules

• Ashley makes a great point about creating a space without distractions. My version of this is making time, specifically for social media. If I’m working, I try to turn my phone off or resist picking it up. I also found that by reducing my time on social media I feel happier!

Productive breaks

• Ashley also discusses reserving a physical task for breaks. For my breaks, stretching, reading a book, or cleaning helps me stay productive without frying my brain.
• I know from experience how hard it is to stop working endlessly on homework or a blog post, but come on! All of our brains deserve a break to get refreshed again.

Connect with friends and family

• Jenn comments on how technology has made communicating so easy. In fact, I feel like I’ve reached out to more friends now than I have in the last few months. I am grateful to have these amazing people in my life!

Those are the YouTubers’ tips that I tried during the coronavirus lock-down! Honestly, during this strange transition, Jenn and Ashley’s advice reminded me the importance of taking care of myself and enjoying the little things in life.

We’re all in the same boat: stepping into a new reality and not knowing what to expect in the coming weeks/months. But in the meantime, let’s try to maintain our health and stay safe.

Check out Jenn and Ashley’s YouTube videos:

If you have any suggestions for things to do at home, I would love to see them down below in the comments!

Good luck with your journey,

Harumi