Before I go into this piece, I want to take a minute to say that I know the situation going on right now with Covid-19 is serious. This post wasn’t created to take away from that; I just wanted to share my experience with being an extrovert during this time and hopefully bring a little light and laughter to your day!
I would classify myself as a classic extrovert; I thrive off of human interaction and love to fill my days with social events, lunches out, happy hours, coffee met-ups, concerts, shows, workout classes, etc. When March hit and the world slowed down, I had to slow down too and there was (and still is) quite the learning curve.
When the lock down first went into effect, I had a lot expectations for how I thought this time at home would be. Even as an extrovert, I thought that I would be fine–I would find things to do.
I instantly signed up for at-home workout classes, took free creative courses online, called anyone and everyone to chat, had picnics in the park, wine on our apartments rooftop…the list goes on and on. And while I have been able to channel my energy into new and different activities, things haven’t exactly turned out like I planned. I still have a really hard time sitting still and I’m learning everyday how to work within this new environment.
In case anyone else is in the same boat, I wanted to share some real (and some goofy) things with you that I’ve realized during this time.
Three Unexpected Things That Happened At Home
- Toned Up: I’ve always been a pretty healthy eater, but all of these home cooked meals + the vegan/vegetarian diet we’ve been trying have been such a game changer. I feel really good about the changes I’ve made and the progress I’ve seen.
- Saved a Ton of Money: Even though my online shopping is at an all time high, it in no way compares to the amount of money I used to spend eating out, taking trips, seeing shows, self-care, etc. Putting a pause on a lot of those activities has been such a blessing for my bank account.
- Cleaned–A Lot: Sometimes I feel like Ben and I are in a constant state of cleaning. We just moved in early March, so we went through everything when we packed/unpacked. Yet, somehow, there’s still more to clean. We went through our apartment again and donated so many little items that we realized weren’t necessary. Our home feels very minimalist now and so uncluttered which I love.
Three Things I Thought Would Happen At Home, But Didn’t
- My Skin Would Miraculously Clear: Did anyone else think this? I figured no makeup = a chance for my skin to breath and my acne to clear up. Spoiler Alert: It got worse lol maybe from the stress or change of routine?
- I Would Become a Professional Chef: We started Purple Carrot a few months back and I was like, “THIS IS MY TIME.” I thought that I would became a vegan/vegetation guru; tossing tofu and tempeh around like it’s my business. While I will say my cooking’s improved, I’ve learned that a change like that doesn’t take months–it’s more like years.
- I Would FaceTime People All.The.Time: I started strong with this and truly thought it would continue until the world fully opened back up. After the first few months my FaceTime/Zoom dates majorly slowed down though. Maybe it’s for the best–I mean, how awkward is it trying to sign off a Zoom call?
Three Things I’ve Found Helpful As An Extrovert At Home
- Long Walks: This is my favorite thing to do after work. Ben and I usually go together and leave our phones at home so that we can have some real/uninterrupted time to connect. On days I go alone, I take my phone and story a bit for Instagram or call friends that I need to catch up with. It’s a literal breath of fresh air. I’ve realized that doing this every day gives me a sense of routine, gets me out of pjs and out into the world in a safe way.
- A Passion Project: For me, this was the blogging! Revamping my website, taking fun photos for Instagram, editing, captioning, posting…all of that is so fun for me and I’ve loved being able to focus on it more.
- Weekend Activities: It’s easy to have a routine during the week, but the weekends are a different story. I noticed early on that this is when I would feel the most anxious. Waking up on a weekend with no real game plan is awesome from time to time, but not every weekend for months lol. Planning little activities here and there have really helped me feel in control of my day. My favorites have been park picnics with a friend, take-out food dates, patio drinks, photo sessions for the blog, early afternoons at the pool, and long drives around town! š
How have you been feeling during this time? Every city is so different with how they’re approaching things and what you’re able to do, but regardless of where you are, I hope you’re doing ok!
