Quarantine Lessons I Learned From Staying Inside The House for 70+ Days

Hello! What's up! It's me again. I know, shocker, I have a new blog post this month. I'm trying my best to put out some content regularly since my birthday but I won't go ahead and say that I'll be doing this consistently every week since I've said that a lot of times in my previous blogs and I usually end up not being able to do it so let's take this slow and enjoy every single blog post that I will publish these coming months, shall we?

On my previous blog, I talked about the 25 life lessons I learned in my 25 years of existence which you can read ~here~. However this time, I'm gonna talk about the new lessons that I learned in a span of 70+ days of being in quarantine. I was supposed to make this once the quarantine is over but since it will be far from over YET, I decided to just publish this blog anyway because what's the difference right? Haha!

I've never been this alone (but not lonely mind you) for so long inside the house. Although I get to see my cousin from time to time since she distributes fresh vegetables and goods in our community, the only time that I am able to get literally out of our gates was when I went to SNR to do a major grocery shopping (and by major, it means that I spent some of my savings to buy everything I need). We're on our way to our 3-month mark and definitely, I learned some practical lessons from all this pandemic situation that happens not just here in our country but around the world too. So keep reading to know what I learned this past couple of months in total lockdown:

1. Just because you're alone, it means that you have to be lonely. Even though I have some sad episodes throughout this quarantine because I miss my family and friend, I find ways to cheer myself up.

2. You have to rely on yourself when you are completely alone. This is where being streetwise comes in. I'm lucky that I went outside my small box before to explore what's out there. It helped me survive strategically.

3. Do not buy everything you see online. Everyone is struggling right now and will sell you anything that they can sell. You don't need it. If you doubt it, wait for a few days before checking out that cart. Trust me. You need cash now more than ever so save it up.

4. Be strategic on your quarantine game plan. Not because you're quarantined, it means that you can do or order anything you want. Make sure that your perishable goods are consumed before its best before date and always eat the fresh goods first like veggies and fruits. You don't want any of your food to go to waste right?

5. Cook your meals. Ordering out makes everything less sanitized and as much as we want to help the restaurant business out there, you cannot be 101% sure that it is safe given the current situation that everyone is having a hard time to score some fresh and quality goods.

6. You don't have to order that pre-mixed frozen meat you saw online. It just won't make sense. Remember that Giant Bee who sold their frozen chicken mix? Well, it's pretty useless now because you still have to create the breading and mixture to achieve the taste of their product. They won't give out their trade secret. They are not dumb. It's still like you're buying frozen meat from the meat section with a little msg in it and has a logo in the plastic. Save yourself from disappointment (I was not able to save myself it). PS: Btw, I can now perfectly make Shakey's mojos from scratch lol. 

7. Cooking has always been the way to go. I used to be a restaurant girl. It's part of my social media personality to review the food in different places. I also love eating out because I am too lazy to cook. But when the quarantine started, I cooked every single day. It made me realize that it is much cheaper and practical and safe to cook at home all the time. I can now recreate the dishes that I used to eat outside which is awesome. Practice makes perfect right.

8. Quarantine makes you see every single imperfection of your house. And take note of it. It will definitely come handy once you want to renovate or build your own home.

9. Cleaning is fun. Especially when you have nothing to do. This lockdown made me realize how OC I can get when it comes to cleanliness. I used to be just particularly picky when it comes to the bathrooms that I go to but now, it gets in my nerves seeing my kitchen, bedroom, living room, and dining area messy. So guess what? I' bought a vacuum and started cleaning every single week now. HAHA.

10. It's okay if you don't get to be productive this time. Quarantine Productivity is not a competition. You don't owe anyone to be productive every single day. Take a rest. Prioritize your health. 

11. You don't have to get out of the quarantine looking great or fit or amazing. We battled a pandemic and sh*tty government at the same time. It's acceptable to not look your best okay? Don't pressure yourself. You are doing great sweetie ~Kris Jenner Voice~!!!

12. Learn something new. Cliche as it sounds and quite contradicting to #10.... at least during this quarantine learn a thing or two from the internet. You can learn something from Youtube all the time or from the animes you watched. It doesn't have to be something grandiose like all of a sudden, you learned how to make a vaccine that will cure Corona Virus but small steps like how to do gardening or how to create a blog. Or perhaps, how to make a curated IG feed. Anything. Learn something. 

13. Listening to the news will not help you when you are quarantining alone. I know, the news is essential in our everyday life but there's just too much toxicity both from the news and social media so better filter what media you consume. 

14. Work hard but take a rest. A lot of people are working from home nowadays and some forget that they must set a boundary between work and being at home. I learned this lesson the hard way when I got too overwhelmed with work that I am not functioning well anymore both at home and while working. Don't overwork because you will definitely overheat, and we don't want that.

15. Rekindle your old hobbies. I used to love reading before but life suddenly happened and I just forgot my first love. Since I have a lot of time during this quarantine, I started to read books again and that little fire inside me is once again ignited. It doesn't matter how many or what books you read. It can even be an article online, or other activities like painting, playing the piano or guitar. It doesn't really matter. Just feel that happiness inside of you again while doing those activities.

16. Know that everything is gonna be alright soon. It doesn't cost anything to be extra careful when going out or ordering from a delivery service, or while staying at home. Always be hygienic and remember to wash your hands every time you go out. Now is the time to be paranoid but don't be worked up too much about it. Still live your life inside your homes.

17. Cherish every single moment that you have with your family or loved ones who you are with. I know, being stuck with the same person or group of people for a long period of time could be exhausting and annoying. But look at the bright side. You can be with your parents or loved ones now more than ever. 

18. Don't take this quarantine for granted. I know, I just said that it's okay not to be productive but at least when you feel bored or unmotivated, make it an excuse to do that project that you've been wanting to do since forever. Schedule your tasks accordingly as well as your free time. 

19. CHECK ON YOUR FRIENDS. Just because you don't have to be accountable to anyone but yourself during this quarantine means that you can neglect your friends already. Some of them need someone to talk to. Some of them are suffering from anxieties or depression. A little checking in on them won't hurt. 

20. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. I made this last because I don't want people to think that just because social media has been a very toxic place right now means that you won't let your voice be heard anymore. If you feel that what you are fighting for is right, SPEAK OUT. SPEAK NOW. Now is the time to call out those who need of calling out. As long as you know that what you are fighting for is right, never be afraid. #MassTestingNow

Last but definitely not least, let's not give the people in power another reason to make us suffer longer. We have sacrificed enough. We have a few more days before another announcement comes in. Let us make this count BY STAYING AT HOME. Why go out when u know u can die bru? Want that buy 1 take 1 St. Peter's memorial plan, huh?

I hope that these lessons helped you too to survive the remaining days of our quarantine. And I honestly pray that things will be better for our country soon.

I sincerely hope that everyone is safe and healthy. We can do this.