Let’s be honest with one another: despite it being necessary, being stuck at home sucks. You can’t meet up with your friends, go to the gym or do all the other fun things you would normally do outside. However, life doesn’t have to be all miserable and gloomy as a result.. To make life in government mandated isolation a lot easier it is helpful to keep up a consistent routine, so that you don’t end up being stuck to your couch or in bed the whole day. Setting up a routine can be challenging at first, especially if you don’t know where to start. This is why in this blog, Ariana, Danique and Asmo share their daily quarantine routines with you so that you can be inspired to create your own.

Danique: 

08:00 - alarm goes off. It’s good to keep a routine when you’re trapped inside so you keep sane. Of course, I snooze for a good 20 minutes before really doing anything. 

08:30 - coffee, and stretch. I once invested in a yoga mat and have never used it, but it’s finally come into use! Sitting inside all day makes you stiff as you are restricting your body, which is still used to the activity you did pre-quarantine. I google a quick stretch workout before starting my day.

9:00 - breakfast. I have switched to a lighter breakfast than usual, as my kitchen is much closer than normal and I don’t have to go anywhere. This is a prevention from gaining quarantine weight. Paying attention to what you eat is important, as you do a lot less than a normal day. During breakfast I catch up on the news.

9:30 - study. My exams have become online exams, so it’s important to still study every day in preparation, even though it feels like a holiday!

13:00 - lunch with housemates. I live with three other students, so we’ve been hanging out a lot more than usual as we are all home! Hanging out during the day compensates for the lack of other social contact. 

14:00 - read. I bought a lot of books in preparation for quarantine! I love reading but never give myself the time to do so normally. 

16:00 - catch up on appointments. My part-time board and I are not able to meet up in person anymore, so we catch up on meetings and appointments via Google Hangouts or Zoom. Same goes for study groups! 

17:00 - workout and dinner. My housemates and I try to keep fit, so we do an online workout. Afterwards we all have dinner together and watch TV (such as  binge-watch temptation island…)

Ariana:

08:30 - wake up. I’m that one person who, in order to wake up, needs to set around 7 different alarms. To make sure I’m up by 08:30, I’ll have alarms ringing since 06:30. Once I’m up, I check my phone to catch up with my social media.

09:00 - class. I have an online lecture on Tuesday, and a seminar on Wednesdays – both at 9 in the morning. It’s a good way to make sure I start the day early and don’t fall into the habit of sleeping in. I also make sure to keep a big bottle of water with lime with me in order to get my body running and stay hydrated.

11:00 - breakfast and getting ready. After class, I cook up some breakfast and eat it while watching some Netflix (currently the last season of Bojack Horseman). After this, I’ll shower and get changed into some comfy clothes to hang around the house.

12:30 - work on assignments. I still don’t know what will happen with my exams, so for the time being I’m focusing on getting all my assignments done! Currently, this involves a lot of reading and researching, but I’ll probably start writing them out in the next few days.

03:00 - snack. Around this time I’m always hungry, so I’ll munch on something while I continue reading.

5:00 - hang out. It’s been a long day of sitting down, and my head is pretty tired with trying to stay focused. Around this time, I’ll usually hang out with my roommate for a few hours - it's super important to stay social! In case there’s something missing from the store, this is the time when we’ll go pick it up.

07:00 - dinner. Cooking is one of my favourite activities of the day. It’s like a meditative process, and trying out new recipes is super fun! If my roommate and I are having dinner together, we’ll usually put on a movie and chill for a few more hours.

10:00 - talk to my family. As an international, I try to keep in constant contact with my parents to make sure we’re always safe. It surprisingly makes me feel happier, and calms me down whenever I feel anxious.

Asmo: 

9:30/10:00 - wake up and breakfast 

I must admit I’m not a morning person and staying at home 24/7 does not help my sleeping rhythm at all. However, I try to wake up around the same time every day in order to keep up a consistent routine. I usually try to have a relaxed start to my morning and I’ve actually started to perfect my breakfast making skills over the last few days.  

12:00 - studying / writing

After I’ve showered, eaten and relaxed a little, I try to get something productive done. Although the uni is not open - there are still some online classes to be followed and assignments to be done, which keeps me busy. Additionally, I try to work on my Master’s thesis and, of course, I write blogs as well ;) In short: there is enough to do and I try to set daily goals to keep myself motivated.   

17:00 - physical activity / fresh air (indoors)

Once I’m done with my schoolwork for the day, I try to plan something that keeps me active or get some fresh air to clear my mind. For instance, there are a bunch of different training exercises that you can do at home to keep yourself healthy. I am also fortunate enough to have a large outside terrace, where I can go to catch some fresh air without leaving the house. If you don’t have such an option, a good tip is to occasionally open all windows for a few minutes to get a proper draught of fresh air into your room/apartment. 

19:00 - dinner 

Around 7 it’s time for dinner. As I live together with my girlfriend, we often like to try out new recipes together. Lately, we’ve had a lot of time on our hands in the evening so we’ve managed to perfect some recipes for our post-pandemic dinner party. 

20:00 - catching up with friends and family

Seeing that you should avoid social interaction, I spend many evenings Skyping with family and friends. Being home so much has been nice in a weird way: I’ve had a lot of time to rekindle old friendships with those who I don’t talk to that often and have long conversations with my family. Keep in mind that you should continue to reach out to them because being at home does not mean you have to cut off your entire social life. 

22:00 - Netflix, reading or games 

The last few hours before going to bed are usually devoted to chill activities such as Netflix, reading or (board) games. I’ve already burned through way too many movies since last week, so the last few days I’ve definitely been more into reading. My girlfriend also started a 1000 piece puzzle yesterday and I’ve taught myself some card games, so that is also something we will be getting into the next few nights.

What does your quranatine routine look like? Let us know in the comments below!