BlogReflections

Diary of a SelFIsolator: Day 13-14 & Freedom

written by Michelle @ FrugalityandFreedom 15 April 2020
Diary of a SelFIsolator: Day 13-14 & Freedom

ICYMI: I was recently in the midst of a 14-day required self-isolation, after my hasty return to Australia. I was bunkered down at my parents’ home, after my 2020 work, travel and housesitting fell apart courtesy of Covid-19. I’m fortunate that my pursuit of financial independence means I have solid emergency funds for now, with creativity and resilience to adjust future plans – after some rest and ‘Room Service By Mum’ amongst this uncertainty.

Missed one? Read my other posts on this theme:

Day 13 – Friday 3 April

  • So close to the self-isolation finish line. Meal highlights delivered by Mum to my bedroom door included homemade schnitzel and dessert of Christmas pudding – ‘cos who even knows what month or day it is?
  • Turns out it’s possible to have a great after-work happy hour via Zoom! Definitely got a bit sozzled remotely with my NZ workmates, who are in lockdown. At least I did some arm exercises to complement my usual squats and planking – even if only glass-to-mouth flexing.
  • I’ve also been reflecting on the dire situation for many of my colleagues in the arts, events, television and film industries. I’m wrestling with some guilt at being in a reasonably good place financially to weather this dry spell (though it’s come from years of living lean and building up my emergency funds for unemployment). Work has dried up almost overnight; ILostMyGig.net.au is tallying the financial impacts of work cancellations in the Australian creative industry, now at $330 million lost and counting (as at 7 April). So many Australian freelancers and casual workers are slipping through the cracks for wage subsidy support and are facing desperate financial futures.
  • Meanwhile, as an article in The Guardian points out, “In times of crisis, we turn to the arts. Now the arts is in crisis”:
    “After taking stock of whether we have enough toilet paper, groceries and medical supplies, our next instinct is to seek comfort – anything to settle our heart rate and combat the stultifying dread and silence of self-isolation. And we always find that comfort in the arts.
    Video games? The arts.
    Comfort novels? The arts.
    Streaming TV? The arts.
    Podcasts? The arts.
    Chillout music? The arts.
    In our most dire hours, art keeps us sane, lights the dark and ensures we stay human…
    Staying indoors and washing our hands will help us survive. Protecting the arts will help us live.”

Daily questions

  • What did I create or learn today? – Drafted some of my responses for a feature on Adventures with Poopsie’s Australian Blogger Interview Series.
  • What was I grateful for today? – Rediscovering forgotten belongings in my old room, including boxes of saved tickets, concert lineups and travel souvenirs.
  • What fun or beauty did I enjoy today? – Tipsy giggles with coworkers to end the work week.
  • How did I move my body today? – Keeping my squats and planking going with those 30-day free challenge apps.

Content I enjoyed

21 Activities To Keep You Focused On Your Future [or to help during social distancing] – MinaFI

There are a bunch of good lifestyle design activities in this post by the early-retired Adam of MinaFI. I particularly like the suggestion to schedule out a perfect week, mapping it out such as in Google Sheets. I’ve previously gotten stuck on what a “perfect day” might look like for me; this more generous timeframe works better for me. Adding routine elements can eliminate some decision fatigue from each day, but can still be balanced with unscheduled free time. This structure may help me to feel more productive and balanced so time doesn’t totally escape me in this lockdown period.

Meme of the day

Day 14 – Saturday 4 April

  • Last day! I got ‘let out’ of my room 90mins before my 8pm 14-day deadline. I shared Thai takeaway around the dining table with my family – at a distance. Still no symptoms to report, so looks like I made it through Covid-free!
  • In the afternoon, the sadness of the current situation really caught up to me. These last 14 days were more like a strange novelty; counting down to a finite end and providing a valid excuse to not be too productive. Now, I definitely felt the weight of the uncertain limbo ahead, without a clear end-date. I have disappointment at the cancellation of 6 months of upcoming travel, though this is tempered with the relief of not having FOMO for the events I’ll miss… given that they won’t be held either. I’m giving myself some permission to wallow in self-pity this weekend, then picking myself and making a plan for an Australia-based rest of 2020.

Daily questions

  • What did I create or learn today? – I checked out some lessons on the virtual assistant course VA Starter Kit I just purchased, after doing the helpful free 5 Day VA Challenge beforehand.
  • What was I grateful for today? – Savouring some handcrafted Ocho NZ artisan chocolate. This was the good stuff!
  • What fun or beauty did I enjoy today? – Being welcomed out of my room with streamers!
  • How did I move my body today? – Star jumps, squats and planking in my room. Can’t wait to go for a long walk outside soon.

Content I enjoyed

Episode 91: Coronavirus and Rebounding From Your Worst Financial Mistakes – Earn & Invest podcast

A honest chat with solid examples of developing financial resilience. “Join Jennifer Mah, Holly Grosvenor, and Disha Spath for this heart felt and difficult conversation.”

Meme of the day

The Day After

  • My required 14 days of self-isolation after returning from overseas is done! I wasn’t contacted by the authorities to check-in (unlike other traveller friends), but any social media would have shown I was locked down (and being overfed!)
  • I feel like I’d developed a touch of agoraphobia these last two weeks, so had some hesitancy going outside. Or maybe it was a reluctance to wear anything other than track pants and see other humans?
  • Either way, I mustered the enthusiasm to head out of the bubble in the morning. My sister and I went for a drive to see the gorgeous autumnal trees lining the suburbs in Adelaide Hills. We also collected a hamper from a local cheese shop to take home, to complement some of the (far too much) wine I’d had delivered recently. Yum!
  • I still have three weeks of remote work remaining to complete my current event job contract. However, I’m getting more and more excited about making that my final office-based full-time job ever! This is finally the perfect time to get my remote freelancing fully underway as a virtual assistant, online project manager and event consultant. An upside to not having the distraction of travelling means I can get solid systems in place for when my digital nomad life resumes on the road. Looking for the positives here!
  • A big thank you to everyone who has been reading my updates and being amused by Mum’s meals for me! Hope you’re going well on your own journey through this strange, strange time. See you around online. –Michelle

This was the final Day 13-14. Read other posts in the series below:

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