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For most of us, this self-isolation period is riddled with anxiety, delirium and endless snacks. Being inside all day has forced the majority of us to become more creative, more frugal, more patient, more grateful and has seemingly spurred a lot of new bakers! While this practice of social distancing is hard, there\u2019s comfort in the idea that we\u2019re all struggling in some way at the moment. At GRAZIA, we thought it would be nice to peek into the lives of other Australian women going through the same thing. Each day, we\u2019ll bring you the honest tale of a woman, just like you, living her best inside-life from her little spot in America, The UK, Singapore, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. We\u2019re all in this together and some shared tips during this shared experience might be the little pick-me-up you need today to shift some of that stale energy.<\/em><\/p>\n My apartment is a beautiful two bedroom on the Lower East Side<\/strong>. It used to be an old tenement building, so it\u2019s a slice of history (but with modern interiors – jackpot!). I have it all to myself while my housemate is riding this nightmare out back home in Australia \u2013 which is a blessing (plenty of space to work and work out) and a curse (weeks without any human interaction). I was already pretty smug about having a washer\/dryer in the unit, but now particularly so. We also have a rooftop which has been a godsend on sunny days. I sit up there with a glass of wine and listen to music and things don\u2019t seem so bad.<\/p>\n New York City is unrecognizable. The city that never sleeps is like\u2026 comatose.<\/strong> It\u2019s particularly eerie when I look out at the street from my rooftop and see how truly deserted it is. All the beautiful bars and coffee shops that make the LES such a cool spot to live are closed up, sometimes with plastic or boards over the glass so you can\u2019t even see inside. It\u2019s like a ghost town. But in some ways, New York is just the same. The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has been delivering some particularly awesome speeches about how tough New Yorkers are and how the City is always changing, but also never changing \u2013 so it is still an inspiring place to be, even without all the social activity and vibrancy that springs to mind when you think of New York.<\/p>\n I have written myself a schedule like I\u2019m a small child \u2013 complete with recess breaks.<\/strong> I wake up, meditate (I\u2019ve practiced Vedic meditation for a few years; if you are interested in learning during all this madness contact @theBroadPlace!), drink coffee and read the news, 30 min yoga (thank god for Peloton\u2019s free trial), conference call with my team at 8.45 sharp (which is GREAT because it makes me shower and wash my hair before 9am), then I work 9-12, run before lunch (midday workouts are the one upside of all this), work until 6 or so, then wind down with a second meditation (twice daily sounds like overkill but it\u2019s a Vedic thing). Then, in the evenings, I cook myself a nice dinner (with a glass of wine, duh), and video call friends or watch Netflix. Then I rinse, repeat\u2026 like, down to the minute. It\u2019s groundhog day.<\/p>\n The most challenging thing about self-isolating is perhaps the uncertainty. <\/strong>Though in some ways, the uncertainty makes it easier. Knowing for sure that this is going to go on for many months more might just send me over the edge! At the moment we\u2019re all just putting one foot in front of the other. The isolation is obviously challenging too \u2013 particularly in the evenings after a long day at work, I would normally decompress by meeting friends at a bar or going to an event. But I\u2019m a perpetually single only child, so I\u2019m pretty accustomed to entertaining myself.<\/p>\n I\u2019m most worried about the social fallout from the economic impact of social distancing in three to four months from now.<\/strong> There will be a lot of unemployed, disaffected people primed to be radicalized \u2013 either politically or religiously.<\/p>\n I think the softer social impact will also be quite profound.<\/strong> For months, we will have been conditioning ourselves to fear the outdoors, and particularly to be suspicious of strangers and to avoid touch. I don\u2019t know what long-term impact that will have, but I don\u2019t think it will be positive.<\/p>\n Weirdest thing I\u2019ve seen?<\/strong>\u00a0Tiger King.<\/em><\/p>\n Today I ran past an old man. <\/strong>He was standing outside a liquor store (deemed to be an essential business \u2013 small mercy!) and he was passing money to a stranger to go in and buy booze on his behalf. It was such a familiar scene in some ways, but normally it would be teenagers handing over cash outside the store, rather than old people. The stranger was going in to protect the old man from unnecessary social contact. I\u2019ve also seen people wearing N-95 masks and lifting them up to smoke – the irony!<\/p>\n My three tips for managing cabin fever are:<\/strong> Firstly, a schedule (see above). Secondly, outdoor exercise \u2013 the best way to reduce cabin fever is to get OUT OF THE CABIN \u2013 and exercise is permitted outdoor activity! Thirdly, regular video chats with friends.<\/p>\n I will never complain about being busy at work again.<\/strong> Sometimes it takes a crisis like this to remind you that you aren\u2019t actually entitled\u00a0<\/i>to a job, let alone a career! It\u2019s a privilege to do interesting work. And it could be taken away from you at any moment, so I\u2019m feeling the gratitude in a big way.<\/p>\n