5 Things You Can Do to Help While Staying Home

life5 years ago

If you’re reading this… I hope you’re reading this at home.

Watching the news lately may be a bit anxiety-inducing, and I’m sure all of us have had our days where we feel stuck and completely unmotivated to do anything at all. I get it, I’ve been there – especially after having to temporarily relocate back to Atlanta after less than 2 full months after my move to New York City.

If you’re in a bit of a funk this week, I’ve put together some low-effort things you can still do that will help you AND others. Now more than ever, it’s evident that every little thing we do has a huge impact on the wellbeing of the people around us… and my hope is that helping you remember that you ARE important, will help you through your most blah day.

stay home

… Obviously. I don’t think this needs much more of an explanation, but for your own sake as well as others’ you’re doing every one a huge favor by staying home. A lot of people carrying the COVID-19 virus are asymptomatic, so even if you’re feeling fine, you can’t be sure about your status without a test and the last thing you want to do is transmit the virus to someone that’s more susceptible to falling ill. Please stay home!

download How We Feel app

Doctors and scientists on the frontlines of healthcare relief are desperate for comprehensive aggregate data so that they can respond more quickly and identify infected hotspots, neighborhood by neighborhood. How We Feel was recently launched by a group of U.S. academic institutions and Pinterest, and the app allows users to self-report symptoms with a daily, quick 30-second health check-in.

In order for this aggregate data system to work, we need to get EVERYONE on it! The more info we have from everyone, the more accurate the reporting will be and the quicker help can get to the neighborhoods that need it most. So make sure you tell a friend to download the app HERE →

let go of guilt

I don’t know if I’m following all of the wrong people on Twitter lately, but one of the trends I’ve started seeing is people guilting others about not working out, starting a new side-hustle, picking up a brand new skill, etc.

Remember this – we’re in quarantine, not on vacation. IT’S OKAY to take this time to just be. Because honestly, I’m sure one day we’ll look back on this period of time and wish we had the time to take a 5-hour afternoon nap, binge on that Netflix show from morning to night, or indulge in that pint of ice cream you’ve been eyeing in your freezer. Do what you need to do that makes you happy now, so that when you’re ready to get back to work, you can hit the ground running like a boss!

choose your news sources wisely

There’s a lot of unverified information going around – please do the right thing, and make sure you’re filtering your information consumption down to ONLY verified, scientific sources. The World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will always be up to date with unbiased, non-politicized information. Your health is not up for a Republican vs. Democrat debate, so turn off sensationalized news pundits and go straight to the scientific source for information.

give back, if you can

It breaks my heart to see my friends on social media being laid off or furloughed from their jobs with every day that goes by – and it’s even sadder to see how slowly things are moving to offer financial relief to those who need it most! I’m not a millionaire by any means, and I wish I could do so much more… but I’m grateful to have the platform I have, and brand partners that are still willing to work with me through this tough period that everyone is going through.

I recently shared that I will be donating a portion of my income this month to the CDC Foundation, and if you can, I implore you to reach out to organizations or individuals who could use some additional assistance too! We’re all in this together, and I hope that’s one of the biggest takeaways we can all learn from this experience.