The Social Distancing Resources You Actually Need

I really hope this post is finding you in the best possible state. The whole planet is shook right now. And, in order to help flatten the curve--that is slow the spread of coronavirus, those of us who can withdraw from society by working, learning, worshiping, etc. from home are doing so. At least, we should be. 🙂 And many local government bodies are taking measurements like shutting down bars and clubs in order to give those of us that need a nudge to stay our asses at home. 🙂

By the way, most of us are practicing social distancing, not quarantining. Quarantining is for people who know they have come in contact with or have with the virus. Now that that little bit of housekeeping is out of the way, let's get into the social distancing resources you actually need. Scroll for work from home tips, home workouts, playlists, reading lists, easy meal ideas, money moves to make, and more!

Work From Home Tips

• Get Dressed and ready. That doesn't necessarily mean full makeup but don't just roll out of bed and take video calls in your pajamas. Comfy clothes are definitely the move right now but it's important keep up with your typical hygiene and maintenance. This will help boost your mood, get you in the right frame of mind for work and keep you from looking a mess on video calls. And you certainly don't want to have to massively readjust when we eventually make the transition back to going into our offices.
• Keep to a schedule. Wake up at your normal time. Start and stop work at set times each day to keep work from creeping into your entire existence and disrupting your sleep.
• Take breaks, including a lunch/midday break. In the same vein as the previous tip, the point is to maintain routine and fight burnout. I normally practice yoga during lunch and am trying to keep up with that at home through Youtube videos. Many fitness studios are streaming classes, too! More on that below.
• Eliminate distractions. If you wouldn't typically stream The Office while working on a strategy presentation, now is not the time to start. Silence your phone and consider placing a note on your front door to let neighbors know when you shouldn't be disturbed unless it's an emergency.
• Don't work in bed. Give yourself the structure to be productive. Designate a specific workspace, whether that be a full home office, a dining table, nook or couch. It's also helpful to let bright, natural light in. If you need ambience, consider using white noise (I use this app on my phone), and lighting a candle.
• Check in regularly not only with coworkers but also with friends, family, and neighbors. Social distancing can seem isolating and virtual contact is critical right now.

Delicious Food to Make at Home

"There's food at the house!" has never hit quite this hard, huh? The prospect of eating all your meals at home can seem boring but it doesn't have to be. Here are a few exciting, easy dishes to keep you out of a slump. Also, try to make mealtime a moment. Prep and cook with your family, use real dishes, pour a glass of wine. Little things like this actually help.

Breakfast Ideas

• Almond Butter Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
• Frozen Smoothie Packs
• Gourmet Scrambled Egg Muffins (Make these if you're a fan of Starbucks' sous vide egg bites or Panera's egg souffles!)
• Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
• PB&J Smoothie Bowl
• Perfect Cheese Eggs
• Sheet Pan Blueberry Pancakes
• Stack of Blueberry Pancakes + Compote (Great for slow mornings but doesn't take long to make)
• Tropical Green Breakfast Smoothies
• Ultimate Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

Lunch & Dinner Ideas

• Low-Carb Salmon Skillet
• Coconut Curry Shrimp & Veggies
• Garlic Butter Shrimp & Scallops
• Honey Mustard Chicken
• No-Boil Spaghetti & Meatballs (a great meal for kids to help with)
• One-Pot Chicken & Rice
• Orange Maple Glazed Cast Iron Chicken Breast
• Texas Chili Mac
• Tomato Basil Chicken Soup
• Vegetarian Pasta Skillet
• Whole Roasted Alfredo Cauliflower

Comfort Baking Ideas

• Harvest Banana Bread (Vegan but you'd never know it!)
• How to Hack a Box of Brownie Mix
• Lemon Berry Quick Bread
• Neapolitan Pound Cake
• Pineapple Upside Down Rum Cake
• Red Wine Chocolate Cake for Two (perfect for date night at home)
• Sweet Potato Gingerbread Muffins
• Strawberries & Champagne Donuts

Immune-Boosting Foods To Eat

Continue supporting your immune system with fresh produce, superfoods, and the right supplements. Here are a few recipes that are full of immune-boosting ingredients.

• Cherry Pineapple Ginger Smoothie
• Four-Ingredient Feel Better Tea
• Golden Milk & Honey Turmeric Latte
• Kale Salad with Orange Maple Vinaigrette
• Sweet Orange Immune Boosting Smoothie

Getting Food While Social Distancing

Grocery stores and restaurants are working overtime to keep the essentials available and get food to us. Our supply chains are really being taxed right now. Here are ways to get food to you if you can't go out and grocery shop or pick up a takeout order. Keep in mind that demand is very high right now.

Local Grocery Delivery Services

• Central Market Curbside (service fee waived on first four orders)
• HEB Curbside and Delivery (service fee waived on first four orders)
• Instacart Same-Day Grocery Delivery
• Kroger Click List Pickup (service fee waived on first three orders)
• Spec’s via Instacart (free delivery on first order)
• Sprouts Farmers Market via Instacart (in an hour)
• Shipt Grocery Delivery
• TopShelf Alcohol Delivery
• Walmart Grocery Pickup (standard pickup is free, delivery coming soon)

Restaurant Options

Many restaurants are currently only providing delivery, drive through or to-go service, either of their own volition or due to local government mandates. Call up your favorite spot to inquire about what options are available or look for them on one of the apps below.

• DoorDash
• Favor (waiving commissions to support local merchants!)
• GrubHub
• Postmates
• UberEats ($0 delivery fee right now!)

How to Workout While Social Distancing

• You've likely heard that gyms are not at all the place to be while practicing social distancing. But summer is still coming. Here are ideas to keep that summer body loading at home.
• Check with your gym or studio as many are adjusting in order to offer streaming workout classes to their members. My studio, Inner Me, will be offering this service and I've read that Planet Fitness will be streaming classes to everyone (member or not) for free!
• Get outside. Go for a walk or run or even do circuits in your backyard or at a park--in groups of 10 or less.
• Obe Fitness offers thousands of on-demand and live workout classes with a free trial.
• The Down Dog app is offering select HIIT, barre, and yoga classes for free through April 1st!
• Use minimal equipment to turn any space into a workout space. You don't need a huge room to make an impact with resistance bands, sliders, and a workout mat--or even no equipment at all. Here are bodyweight workouts for women and bodyweight workouts for men you can follow on Youtube. If you have access to weights, I detailed my lunchtime free weights/bodyweight workout routine here.
• Yoga with Adriene is a Youtube channel full of free guided practices for pretty much any type of schedule and skill level. I like the 20-35 minute practices for during the work day and longer ones on the weekends and am trying out her 30-day yoga challenge right now.
• YogaGlo offers unlimited yoga, pilates, and meditation with a free 15-day trial.
• Get a 60-day free trial of on-demand classes at Pure Barre with code "EXTENDEDTRIAL" at checkout!

Social Distancing Activities

Streaming Church Services

You can still get your praise and worship on from the house. Here are local churches I know of that stream their Services:

• Alfred Street Baptist
• Hope City
• Lakewood
• Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church (This is my home church and our pastor is awesome! You can also watch recordings of past sermons on the same site.)

Music Playlists

Someone asked me for playlists so here are a few I've made and been put onto on Apple Music:

• Hips (Afro & Caribbean Beats)
• Hot Girl Summer 2019 (Megan, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, etc.)
• Kickback (This was actually from my 2019 Christmas party but works for anytime. The music is not holiday themed.)
• R&B Love Mix
• Relaxation (chill tunes from Erykah Badu, Rihanna, Chance the Rapper & more)
• Upbeat Workout (These are v explicit to get your booty moving!)
• Welcome to Houston (a full flavor for the city from Geto Boys to Solange to Selena)

Streaming Service Watch Lists

HBONow

• Big Little Lies
• Black Lady Sketch Show
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Divorce
• Enlightened
• Entourage
• Game of Thrones
• Girls
• Insecure
• Sex and the City
• Sharp Objects
• Succession
• The Righteous Gemstones
• The Wire
• Watchmen
• Westworld

Hulu

• American Horror Story
• Blackish
• Grownish
• Harlots
• Hilary
• Living Single
• Ramy
• RuPaul's Drag Race
• Saturday Night Live
• Shark Tank
• Shrill
• The Handmaid's Tale

Netflix

• 13 Reasons Why
• 13th
• 100 Humans
• Any of Iliza Shlesinger's standup specials!
• Big Mouth
• Breaking Bad
• Crazy Ex Girlfriend
• Dating Around
• Dead to Me
• Dear White People
• Easy
• Explained
• Friends from College
• Gentefied
• Grace and Frankie
• Great British Baking Show
• Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea.
• Hip Hop Evolution
• Homecoming
• House of Cards
• Love
• Love is Blind
• Mad Men
• Nurse Jackie
• Orange is the New Black
• Ozark
• Pandemic
• Pose
• Rotten
• She's Gotta Have It
• Stranger Things
• The Office
• They Gotta Have Us
• Workin' Moms
• You

Podcasts and Books to Read

• Here are all my reading list recommendations on Amazon. I also wrote a blog post about books every woman should read so check that out, too. There is some overlap.
• Here are podcasts I recommend based on what you're into.

Money Moves to Make Right Now

In times of uncertainty, our financial markets tend to take a nosedive, which is definitely the case right now. The Fed just slashed interest rates, OPEC is shaking the table in the energy industry, and stocks are doing the Macarena. Here are a few financial moves to consider making, if you're in the position to do so:

• Refinance your home mortgage. If you're a property shark, you're probably already scouring for investment properties.
• Invest in stocks. I play with stocks on the Robinhood app. Sign up for free here and we both get a free stock!
• Continue giving. Small, local businesses, especially in the hospitality industry, are being hit hard right now and your support can make the difference in whether your favorite business is able to stay open on the other side of this crisis. You can buy gift cards for future use and/or order takeout or delivery from these places! Here are some of my favorite Houston restaurants and businesses to support. A few special callouts to Breakfast Brunch Cafe, Peli Peli, and HS Green!
• Also consider donating to your local food pantry because they are helping to meet the needs of our neighbors who are the most vulnerable right now. You can donate to the Houston Food Bank here.

I hope this post helps you flourish while social distancing. Wishing you wellness in every respect. We have to take care of each other. Thanks for reading!

P.S. I think you'll like these, too:

• Building a Mindful Morning Routine
• How to Get Better Sleep Tonight
• The Emergency Home Checklist You Need