The world has taken quite an unexpected turn, and this past week has felt like… a whole god damn year. While we originally were hesitant to post much about this global pandemic (it felt weird to post about something so serious on a lifestyle blog?), we’re here to share our daily lives… and right now our daily lives are consumed by COVID-19.

Starting Thursday of this past week (March 12th), we’ve been staying entirely at home with just a few exceptions. Originally we wanted to continue going to our regular CrossFit and yoga classes, which really help both of us mentally, but we’ve refrained the last couple days and we’re re-evaluating where we stand on that. Getting outdoors for bike rides and body weight workouts has been a great substitute, but long term we’re hoping to get back into workout classes and hot yoga once everyone is on the same page on terms of disinfecting and precautions (I fully watched someone in my CrossFit class cough on their hands, use the row machine, and then rub their face, so, like, just avoiding that scenario for now).

There seem to be two camps when it comes to social distancing—one that thinks it’s a ridiculous overreaction, and one that thinks it is a smart, potentially life saving, precaution. If you’re curious as to why we (and presumably other folks you know) are social distancing right now, I highly recommend you check out this article from the Washington Post that has some great interactive graphics: Why Outbreaks Like Coronavirus Spread Exponentially, And How To “Flatten The Curve”. Basically, given how rapidly the virus spreads, it’s likely that a large portion of Americans will come into contact with it, but by social distancing we can slow down that spread and make sure that hospitals aren’t overwhelmed so that they can focus their resources on those who need it most—which can help save lives and keep some level of stability through these rough weeks and months.

To be frank, we’re incredibly lucky. While we will likely have a drop in income from this whole thing, we’re privileged to be able to work from home and prioritize our health. If you have friends or family who work in the service industry or gig economy, please reach out to see if they’re doing okay. And if that’s you, don’t be afraid to ask for help. A lot of workers and industries are suffering right now, and freelancers, gig workers, tipped employees are already feeling the burden of this thing. Consider Venmo-ing your local drag queen the dollars you’d normally hand them while you’re staying in, asking your barber if you can reschedule your appointment but still pay now, tipping dine-in rates or higher when ordering take-out, and other small gestures like that.

Things are weird! Hopefully we can get back to normal soon! But for now, here’s how we’re coping and handling social distancing.

We’ve stocked up for two weeks, but we aren’t hoarding. We’ve got lots of foods we love that do well in the freezer (like tater tots!!) so we can limit the number of trips to the grocery. We’ve got lots of frozen vegetables, grains, meats that freeze well, and household items like detergent. If you’re looking to try out new recipes, now is a great time for it! Check out our recent recipes to see if anything ~inspires you~ !

We’ve been working on edits to a creative project that we literally are so excited about, and it’s been nice to get lost in it. It’s one of those “we can’t talk about this yet” things, but it’s been great to have something to focus on that feels productive. If you’re not able to work on anything from home, try a creative project. I know that sounds obvious, but, it works! We’ve got some great DIY projects on this site, so do a search and get to some home improvement done!

We’ve spent time outdoors on bike rides, and an at-home workout you can do indoors our outdoors. We’ve included an easy at-home workout for you below that you can modify to fit your needs! Workout motivation can be hard at home, so use a timer and set a goal time to stay under to keep you moving. And, hey, if you live alone, invite one or two friends over (only if they are symptom free and have also been social distancing) and do the workout together outdoors. Also: there are so many great free yoga classes online! Now is the perfect time to practice mindfulness and get some yoga in. I recommend lighting a candle, playing some music, and following this vinyasa flow for strength. For mindful relaxation, we’ve been drinking lots of stress relief and bedtime tea from Yogi, mostly at night. Make your tea time a ritual!

Other than that, we’ve been reading a few books we’ve been wanting to read, and watching mind-numbing shows like 100 Humans on Netflix. We haven’t taken the step of deep-cleaning the house yet, but that’s certainly something we’ll dive in to this week.

And finally, we’ve been keeping up with friends via text message very often. Everyone is in a weird hazey state as reality has shifted, but it’s been good to just talk and share memes and commiserate together.

This is literally the simplest at-home workout ever, as we wanted something that anyone could do without needing a bunch of workout equipment.

50 double unders
100 sit ups
50 double unders
100 push ups
50 double unders
100 squats

Do this as fast as possible! The only equipment needed for this workout is a jump rope. If you can’t get double unders, do regular single jumps but double the reps (100 instead of 50). If you don’t have a jump rope, substitute tuck jumps. Cap this workout at 25 minutes! Setting a timer you can see and follow helps keep you motivated and on pace.

Thanks for stopping by the blog, stay safe and healthy out there!

xoxo Beau & Matt

Social Distancing, Week 1