We’re now on Week 4 of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila. You’ve been waking up and sleeping in your office aka your home. We know that it can be difficult to unplug from work now that you’re constantly in and out of Zoom meetings and conference calls. But it’s important not to overextend yourself and get burnt out. Here are some activities you can try to get yourself out of constant work mode.
Get moving.
Whether it’s a dance class or a yoga session, moving your body can do wonders. Sitting in front of a laptop all day can make you feel lazy, slow your metabolism, and give you back pain. Take a few minutes of the day to stretch those muscles.
Daily ballet and contemporary dance classes on weekdays at 11 a.m.
https://www.instagram.com/galaw.co/
Barre classes
https://www.instagram.com/barre3ph/
Dance for 10 minutes
Yoga
https://www.instagram.com/evolveyogaph/
Ab workout
https://www.chloeting.com/program/
Experiment in the kitchen.
If you’re used to ordering in, change things up by preparing something for lunch or dinner. It doesn’t have to be a complicated meal. Work with what you have in your pantry and just enjoy the process.
For newbies who want to learn the basics
https://www.bonappetit.com/basically
Hack your favorite dish
https://www.pepper.ph/tag/food-hack/
Join Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi’s baking club
https://www.instagram.com/christinatosi/
Bake a loaf of bread, dinner rolls, and flatbread with just one dough
Read a book.
By this time, you may have burned through your list of shows to binge on Netflix already. Why not go through your to-be-read pile and get lost in a book? If you don’t have any books on hand, there are some apps online that are offering free reads.
Scribd
https://www.scribd.com/
Open Library
https://openlibrary.org/
Project Gutenberg
https://www.gutenberg.org/
Meditate.
With all your deadlines coupled with the news that you read every day, it can take its toll on you. Take time to slow down and calm your mind. There are many apps and websites that can help you do this, but it can also be as simple as finding a quiet corner of your space, closing your eyes, and focusing on an intention. Maybe it’s thinking about one good thing that happened to you, something you’re grateful for, or someone you’re honoring. It might take some getting used to at first but start doing it for even as short as 5 minutes, increasing a couple of minutes the next time you do it.
Remember to take breaks when you can. Working from home doesn’t mean you have to be on the job 24/7. We hope these tips can help you unwind a bit as you navigate this enhanced community quarantine. Stay healthy!