If you are reading this in the far future know that this blog was written during the time of the pandemic lock-down, so things aren't so "normal". In this new reality I've added a few things to my life that help me not spiral into overthinking about the future of the world. Below is a list of 5 things I do to stay "sane" during this time.
Matcha Coffee
Jumping right in let's start with my morning matcha coffee. I've always been a coffee and tea kind of person but I normally drink them separately. One day I was in the kitchen waiting for my bread to rise and was trying to decide if I should have matcha or coffee. Then I said to myself the line from that taco shell commercial "why not both"? 🤷🏾♀️ Thus my matcha coffee was born. It's super simple to make. Instructions below:
Combine the following into your favorite mug and enjoy
1 TBSP of Instant Coffee (I've been using Folgers)
1 TSP of Matcha (I use Teami Matcha Powder Tin)
1 TBSP Sugar (If you want to use less feel free)
1 Cup Hot Water
Tip: If you want to get the Teami Matcha, you can get $15off your $50+ purchase with my code AMWLOVES169
Dance Parties
A dance party a day keeps your mental health okay😊 Know that your dance parties are yours! They can be any duration, any theme, or just music you want to listen to in the moment. Mine can range anywhere from 15 min to an hour with K-pop woven throughout. You don't need a lot of space to have one. Last summer I shared a hotel room for a week during a convention and would bring my headphones & phone with me to the bathroom for a mini 10 min dance party. When the dance party calls, ANSWER!
Friday Night Drag Race
Watching Drag Race every Friday has brought me so much joy! The best part is that I don't watch it alone. My friends and I jump in a group chat or a group FaceTime and watch 3.5 hours of Drag Race. Hour 1.5 is season 12 (I love Gigi!), the next 1.5 hours is celebrity drag race where the winner gets $30k for a charity of their choice, and the last hour is Untucked where the real "tea" of the show is revealed. Even if you've never heard of Drag, I definitely recommend you tune into RuPaul's Drag Race on VH1 (which you can also stream online).
Skincare Routine
My skincare routine whether it be a regular day or deep cleaning night is and always has been so essential for my sanity. It's always a multi step routine where I can get lost in the motions of taking care of my skin and can feel really meditative. Full routine coming soon in a future Skincare Sunday 🙌🏾
Making My Bed
Last but not least I make my bed every night. Now, I don't know about you, but I was never forced to make my bed growing up. I only knew of a making a bed from of watching TV and going to hotels. At the top of this lock-down, I made the decision to clean and rearrange my room. After about 2 weeks of shifting furniture and building a new IKEA dresser I looked at my bed and decided to make it for the first time. I put on the freshly dried fitted sheet, tucked the edges of the top sheet, draped my duvet over top, and added a decorative blanket that I got for Christmas. Once everything was placed I got so excited that I took a shower, did my skincare, threw on some fresh Universal Standard PJs and slid into bed. I WAS SHOCKED. It felt like I was at a hotel. The warmth of the sheets fresh from the dryer, the softness of a freshly fluffed pillow, feeling cozy like a burrito, I couldn't stop smiling. That first impression made me realize that I should make my bed everyday. To be honest I don't make my bed when I first wake up but I do make my bed every night right before I go to sleep 😴
There you have it. My 5 things to keep me "sane" during this different time. While these are the things I do, feel free to comment your favorite ways to stay "sane" during this time. Or if you're from a time post 2020 pandemic, how do you maintain some levelheadedness in your day to day life?