As I begin my first day working from home while being quarantined, some reflections from this weekend. The weekend was overall fine. In terms of my husbands symptoms, they are primarily consistent high fevers and chills. He alternates with Tylenol and Advil and is monitoring his breathing. I know he will get through it.
New York Hospitals are really bombarded, and I have a new found appreciation for all health care workers. Since my husband has been working from home, I can hear all the hard work that is being done preparing for this virus. They are on the front lines, saving lives. It is easy to get stuck in thinking about or feeling bad for ourselves being stuck indoors, but we are in the comfort of our homes, with all our luxuries. Meanwhile, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers are tirelessly working to keep our cities safe. Lets not forget that and thank those around us, and count our blessings!
Monday morning was really weird as I have not really worked from home in my role as a Health Coach, especially working out of my bedroom, since the living room has been taken over by A and his calls.
I woke up and after writing in my gratitude journal, decided to make a schedule. Working from home can sometimes be harder I’ve noticed, as we tend to just sit in front of our computers and forget to get up to hydrate or eat. I scheduled snack, movement and water breaks for myself throughout the day to keep myself on track. Hydration is key for our wellbeing- and fluids- especially simple water keep us hydrated and can help avoid the emotional eating we all tend to do when we are home. I am keeping track of how much water I drink in the next 14 days.
For breakfast, I made oatmeal with bananas, hemp seeds, and almonds, sprinkled with honey. For lunch, I had a brown rice cake with Hummus and sliced avocado, I sprinkled the Trader Joes lime chili seasoning and drizzled some olive oil. I made a berry smoothie with flax as a snack. All the above are immune boosting foods. Eating plant based foods helps with inflammation.
At 3pm, I took out 5 minutes to listen to a 5 minute meditative session. Taking a break away from all the anxieties and fears is key in calming us down. It allows us to focus better and stay in the present. Different Apps have these short 5 minute sessions and I highly recommend them to any one who wants to focus better and decrease stress. The more you listen and practice the better you feel. Consistency is key.
After I finished my work day, I went out on my balcony and did the 7 minute workout by Johnson & Johnson. Very effective in getting my heart rate high. I did 50 skips and some lunges. I do not think this equates to my gym time but something is better than nothing.
I then cooked a Turmeric yogurt soup called Karhi and lentil rice called khichri. Soups warm the body and hopefully will help the cough,also, the comfort foods that remind us of childhood and home have a certain nostalgia that warm the soul.
To make the meal balanced, Saniya and I made a delicious spinach salad.
Ingredients
- 1 bag spinach
- 1/2 a box of strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 cup of pecans
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp honey
- 1tsp dijon mustard
Method
Make the vinaigrette in a glass jar and shake it up. You can either candy your pecans (sautee chopped pecans in a pan with a tblspn brown sugar) or keep them plain.
Assemble all the ingredients, pour the dressing and toss.
Few thoughts for today:
- Make a schedule when working from home and add in your food, movement, and water breaks!
- Don’t forget to take out time to breathe, spend some time doing nothing work or health related. I bought a coloring book and pencils and it is very soothing!
- Eat a variety of fresh plant foods throughout the day and be conscious of your immune system’s strength. a good test is how naturally colorful your plate is!
The highlights of my day were receiving videos of my family around the world enjoying their time at home.
Watch a funny movie or video as we need to be optimistic! Make those around you laugh and smile 🙂
I am ending my day with a piece of dark chocolate from Royce. Delish!!!!