Ok, I know that looks like a lot, but here are a couple of notes. One, I naturally wake up at 7:45 am. If I’m not feeling up to it, I don’t. Which means this whole schedule gets adjusted. I don’t try to make up time anywhere. I mean, where are we going anyway?

There are days where I give my body a break and don’t work out, but I will at least stretch. Working out helps keep your immune system healthy, which is essential right now. I have found a group of friends that hold each other accountable by tagging their stories post-workout. Shoutout out to my Quaren-TEAM!

Good Morning and happy *checks the day of the week* — Wednesday! I am sure by now, you have had enough of the new dreaded C-word, the quarantine, and you are probably at your wit’s end. Guess what? You, my dear, are not alone.

No matter if you’re locked away alone or with your used to be a favorite person, we are all starting to lose our bearings. The days blur into each other, professional clothes have become a thing of the past — I’m not that upset about it. And some of us don’t know when to work will pick back up. This is no vacation.

While I usually work from home as an experiential marketing consultant, my projects have either been entirely halted or canceled. And if you think I’m cranky when I’m hungry, you should see when I can’t work! I love working and as a creative and not being able to let the flow feels stifling. And with all the other unfortunate things happening in the world, it gives me anxiety. And if I don’t get control of that fast — whew, child!

The Schedule — Quarantine Convene

Last week, I came up with my Quarantine Convene. A time to convene with colleagues, friends (both virtually over the phone), and yourself! It is a schedule that has helped me remain creative and focused on work, get to the task I usually don’t have time for, and elevates a lot of my stress about the situation. I want to share it with you if you need a bit of help.

I want to start by saying, while I love freedom, I still appreciate structure. That is not for everyone, so if you feel like this idea may be more strenuous than helpful — I promise I have something for you at the end. ; )

Quarantine Convene
7:45 am – Wake Up
8:15 am – Get dressed
8:30 am – Work Out
9:15 am – Meditate
9:30 am – Breakfast
10:00 am – Work Convene
11:20 am- Lunch
11:30 am – Friend Convene
12:00 pm – Downtime
1:00 pm – Chore
2:00 pm – Self Convene
3:30 pm – Family Convene
6:30 pm – Dinner
7:00 pm – TV and games
10:30 pm – Bed

Like, Actually?

Ok, I know that looks like a lot, but here are a couple of notes. One, I naturally wake up at 7:45 am. If I’m not feeling up to it, I don’t. Which means this whole schedule gets adjusted. I don’t try to make up time anywhere. I mean, where are we going anyway?

There are days where I give my body a break and don’t work out, but I will at least stretch. Working out helps keep your immune system healthy, which is essential right now. I have found a group of friends that hold each other accountable by tagging their stories post-workout. Shoutout out to my Quaren-TEAM!

I always meditate! Even if it’s for just 5 minutes. To look inward and find out how I am feeling and what my body is telling me, really shapes the day.

Yes, I generally eat lunch that early and soon after lunch because I’m always hungry– especially after a workout.

Work Convene is all about your current career aspirations. If you weren’t on hold, what would you be working on now? You can still keep that project focus. What I do during Work Convene, depends on the day. Monday is content creation, Tuesday I like to find or massage new opportunities. Wednesday, I work on my vision or future project plans, Thursday is all about data and bookkeeping, and Friday is my research day.

Friend Convene is when I consciously contact a friend I didn’t talk to in a while. A while for me could be months are hours – haha! I conduct my wellness checks on them to make sure they are doing alright, too.

Chore time is the worst, but it keeps me humble. There needs to be some balance to these days. Currently, I tackle one room of the house to clean or organize. I don’t get to this every day, but I don’t let too many days go by without doing something! Right now, its a whole bunch of dishes.

The Key

Self Convene is the time for me to look at what I accomplished that day. By that time, I have worked out, prepared two meals, and have been productive in some way I did not care to be. That’s to be celebrated. It’s also for me to see what I didn’t do and how I am feeling about getting it done. Maybe it moves to another day of the week.

TV and Games are how I reward myself for getting through another abnormal day most positively. You can do it alone or with whoever you’re spending your quarantine time with currently!

My bedtime is the most random right now, but I try to keep it around 10:30 pm because when this is all over, I don’t want to miss a beat!

The most important thing you should take away from this is to go at your pace. Even if your schedule has 3 items on it – that’s 3 ideas more than you had before. This is a time to better ourselves and our business. Use the free resources out there to push yourself forward. Don’t let this time end and not be in a better position for growth.

Remember, we’re not stuck inside, we are safe inside.

Content courtesy of  Amanda Reese, Founder of  Blueprint Concepts, an experience-focused marketing firm that provides growth strategy to entrepreneurs and creatives.

CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR, AMANDA REESE

As Blueprint Concept’s chief consultant, Amanda does more than drumming on a keyboard. With more than 6+ years of experience in marketing and branding, she’s obsessed with new innovative storytelling and curating experiences to go along with them. When she’s not empowering women and small businesses to be differentiators, she is exploring health and wellness (or watching reruns of The Office). Throughout her career, Amanda has worked with many industries including — education to entertainment, and sports to nonprofits.

Amanda also writes for the So Selfish Blog, and you can follow her @theamandacheri, @theblueprintconcepts and check her out her Facebook & Twitter.