The Sanity Edit: Everything I've Been Loving For A Mental Escape

Photo by Dan Russo 

Here are a few things that have been keeping me slightly more sane and helping me tackle the daily anxiety caused by RoRo (that's coronavirus for all my non-ebonics speaking pals... lmao) 

One: Virtual Workouts and Dance Classes 
I miss my workout classes and dance classes so freaking much. But technology is amazing and there are so many great free workouts on IG and Youtube. They have been such a blessing right now. I'm really into this Dance Body resistance band workout - it's short but really freaking hard! I also really like all of the full-body workouts Revolve has been sharing on IGTV in collab with fitness gurus. The workouts by Katrina have been my favorite because I've followed Tone It Up for years and she is really motivational/pushes you to keep going through the workout and I NEED an extra push to power through a workout lol.


And OMG my literal prayers have been answered by all the virtual choreographed dance classes. I'm obsessed with these three routines to some of my favorite songs like Skin, Girls Need Love and Captain Hook. I will probably purchase one or two over the course of the month because they are super cheap (btw $5-$10) and are the best parts of my day hands down.

Two: All The Grilled Food
Whether you have a real grill or even just a mini George Foreman, I highly recommend grilling any and everything in your fridge. From pineapple to sweet potatoes, or from seafood to burgers, there is something about grilled food. It adds an extra sense of fun, flavor and sometimes luxury feel to every meal. My favorite meal at the moment is grilled salmon paired with grilled zucchini. Uh, I'm so hungry right now.

Three: Cute Loungewear During the Work Week
I've been loving wearing a mix of loungewear and cute outfits. Cute outfits have been reserved for weekends, running to the grocery store biweekly and nature walks.  But when I'm being productive, I'm all about the cute loungewear. Here are a few pieces that I have my eye on or own. Although I am currently furloughed and pretty anxious about money right now, I did treat myself to a $10 lounge set from Boohoo (sold out now) and a $20 pink striped PJ set (linked below) last night because I wanted to reward myself for being so productive this past week, for previously setting aside money for an emergency and for pushing through a pretty insense depressive state. And I know I am significantly more productive (and have more positive thoughts) when I feel cute vs. when I look and feel like an underbridge troll.

Four: Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu
Kerry Washington AND Reese Witherspoon... do I even need to say more? No, I don't. I'm completely and utterly obsessed and this is the exact escape I need each week. Thanks, Hulu.


Five: Short Guided Meditations to Stop My Anxiety Attacks in their Tracks
So I have this natural ability to really work myself up in a completely unhealthy and sometimes paralyzing manner.

There are a million fearful thoughts running through my mind like.... (prepare for an anxiety rant in three, two, one and skip this paragraph if you think it might trigger you) how the fuck am I going to pay rent this summer if I'm not working by then? Are my mom and brother going to be safe since they are both high-risk? If they get sick, will I even be able to travel there to take care of them or be there if they don't beat the virus? How can I keep paying down debt or pay any of my bills after my emergency fund is gone if unemployment checks are severely delayed? How many people are going to pass away from this virus before a vaccine is ready? Will I have to give up on my dreams and move away from my beloved NYC if this doesn't end soon? What if there is something wrong with my unemployment application and I'm denied... how will I even afford food after my emergency savings run out? Is my career field obsolete since I work in the fashion industry? Is all my hard work from the past 4 years and the promotion I worked my ass off for just gone down the toilet now? Will I be able to afford my dance and pole classes at my gym because they are one of the best things in my life? And the list of fears continues; just like I'm sure your list of fears is ever-growing right now.

But, as we all know, letting thoughts like these control our minds only hurts us. So when I get in this anxiety tornado, I roll out my yoga mat, lie down, focus on breathing and listen to a short guided meditation or calming video/podcast. This usually helps me reset and calm the actual fuck down in five to ten minutes. TBH, I even did this when we were all still working in an office because I keep a blanket at my desk.

One positive thing that has come out of this craziness has been the increase in free mental health resources for us. I know this is a crappy freaking time but we are badasses and pretty resilient. We are gonna emerge stronger than ever after all this. Sending you all the love, and thanks for taking a moment to read this post. Your support means the absolute world to me.