- It's safe to say that it's been very intense these days.
COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in 2020
and it's altered all of our lives.
Social distancing is so important
because it slows the virus from spreading rapidly
and flattens the curve of infection rates.
So now we're spending a lot more time indoors.
This can feel claustrophobic, overwhelming,
or just plain boring.
Some of you may be struggling
on what we're supposed to do with all this extra time.
But hopefully this drastic change won't last forever.
Today I want to share 10 ideas
on how you can spend your time at home
if you have the luxury to do so.
The first one is obvious, which is to clean
and disinfect your entire house.
A lot of the times we find excuses to put off cleaning,
but now that you're stuck at home,
you want your environment to be as clean as it can be.
A clean environment is an instant mood enhancer.
If you've ever played the Sims,
Sims get sad when they're in filthy environments.
We are no different than the Sim.
So start tackling each part of your house, one by one.
I like to start in my bedroom by making my bed.
It doesn't take much time
and it is crazy how a few adjustments
from the pillows and the sheets make a huge difference.
Then I like to get started on bigger tasks like vacuuming.
This takes the longest for me but it's so satisfying
to see all that dust come up from the floors.
If you manage to get your hands on these,
which is pretty much like precious gold these days,
use them.
Use the wipes to disinfect
the high-touch areas of your house
like all of your door handles, light switches,
railways, faucet handles, remote controls,
your wallet, house keys, car keys,
keyboards, mouse's, and all other tech gadgets,
especially your phone.
Personally I get a big kick out of cleaning.
It's one of my hobbies.
I get a deep sense of satisfaction
when I'm organizing and putting things away.
A lot of the times when I feel anxious or overwhelmed,
I'll just start cleaning.
Since I can't mentally organize my mind,
I'll organize my surroundings.
The action of cleaning gets my mind off most anxieties,
and moving my body really helps.
Also, a reminder to wash your hands.
Very frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Exercising is now more important than ever.
I know it's probably the last thing you want to do indoors,
but you know what?
You just gotta do it, man.
Moving and getting your blood pumping
helps your immune system.
I've been sticking with my own HIIT workout routine
that you've probably seen me and my brother do in my vlogs.
It's just like a 35-minute compilation
of different types of moves.
But I highly recommend watching Blogilates here on YouTube
and Chloe Ting as well.
Their workouts are so challenging
and it really spices things up for me
when I get bored of my own routine.
I exercise to get those endorphins
and you probably could use some too.
So find an exercise regimen that works for you,
whether it's stretching, yoga, or a brisk walk.
Just anything you might enjoy.
If you have the luxury of being able to work from home,
continue to do your best on the job.
I know it can be tempting to be lazy
and not do anything,
especially when you could just lay down.
But resist.
Work in areas of the home where you feel like
you can get the most work done.
I've always set a time schedule when I'm working.
From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. is when I do
all my conference calls or phone meetings.
Then anywhere between 12:00 p.m. until the sun goes down,
I'll start filming.
Having a work routine at home
can really keep your mind off things.
And that feeling of being productive,
well, that will never get old to me.
To be honest, I've been watching a lot
of "RuPaul's Drag Race."
And whenever I watch that show, I'm like,
"Damn, I want to do something fun
"and over the top on my face."
And makeup is a skill.
It takes a level of practice in order to execute it.
This is obviously the perfect time
to master a difficult makeup technique.
You can finally use that untouched pastel palette
and just have fun with it.
You'll be surprised on how much you can make it work.
If it looks good, you can take a pic and share it.
If it looks bad, you can just wipe it off.
No biggie.
When was the last time you read a book?
Like actually read for fun?
With all the time in the world,
you can now make an effort to read that book
that's been collecting dust.
Personally, I love to read.
But if reading is struggle city it to you,
throw on a record, put on some music,
light a candle and read by a window.
I sound like a complete nerd
but I actually prefer reading than watching TV.
Because when I'm reading,
I'm using a more active part of my brain.
Since you're using your imagination,
your brain is being more stimulated.
Also don't fall into the trap
thinking that you can only read one book at a time.
That is BS.
If you can watch multiple shows at a time,
you can absolutely read multiple books.
Cooking is a very underrated activity.
I've always enjoyed cooking
because I just like to be around food.
I like touching food.
I like manipulating food, I like eating it.
These days I really have been enjoying baking.
I've made this cinnamon toast crunch bread four times now,
and I finally nailed it.
Remember, with cooking,
you'll only get better and better with practice.
(relaxed music)
I am someone who really feels their emotions,
and journaling has always been an outlet for me
to release my thoughts, ideas, and emotions onto paper.
It's really liberating
to see a page full of your own words and reflect.
I've also been loving bullet journaling as well.
First of all, it is very time consuming.
So if you want to kill a couple of hours,
bullet journaling will definitely do it.
I find all my bullet journal info on Pinterest
and I just copy that.
I like being able to plan ahead.
Again, it gives me some sort of control,
and I also like the fact
that I can kind of mentally prepare myself for the future.
Again, it's like art.
You're creating and releasing and it's very therapeutic.
Even though you're in isolation,
make the extra effort to reach out to a friend
or family member you haven't spoken to in a while.
Honestly, technology has made it so easy to connect.
So facetime your friends, send a text.
These days my friends and I
have been doing these Zoom parties.
It's this website where you can have multiple people
join with a link.
It honestly does feel like a party.
And it's really easy to get that human interaction again.
Humans are made to be a part of the community,
no matter how introverted you think you are.
This is also the time to try and learn something.
Again, with the Internet, there's so many resources
to learn and refine a skill.
My favorite thing to do is listen to a podcast
and take notes while I listen.
It helps me retain everything better
because I'm using the active part of my brain.
I also love Masterclass, which is a website
where experts in their field teach their craft to viewers.
And each episode is broken down as a lesson.
And I also take notes for that too.
Lastly, I've been really trying to work
on improving my Korean.
I have an online class that I take,
and I have no excuse to not complete my homework anymore.
My parents also told me
that I needed to watch more Korean dramas.
So I've been bingeing out
on all the popular ones on Netflix.
My final activity is to indulge when you need to.
It's friggin' crazy out there.
So if there's a day where it just feels really overwhelming,
do something that relaxes you.
Whether it's watching reruns of "Love Island,"
eating ice cream or taking a bath.
Treat yourself if you have the luxury to do so.
I know with all the events that are happening right now,
it's causing a lot of stress and anxiety.
But I really hope that this video
could inspire you to make the most of what you can
with this quarantine.
I also want to recognize the privilege
that I have to be able to work from home,
to be quarantined in my home.
Because so many people do not have the luxury to do that.
I thought that this would be a good time for me
to give back to my community.
I'm doing a virtual food drive
with the Los Angeles Food Bank.
There are so many people struggling to make ends meet
and food is necessary for everybody
'cause so many people have been laid off
or have reduced hours.
Kids aren't getting their government-issued food
from their breakfast and their lunches.
And even seniors can't even get their meals as well.
So if you guys have any extra cash to donate,
I will leave a link to the food drive
in the description box and also in the comments down below.
Anything helps, and I think at this time,
we all need to do our part
of just trying to make the world go round.
I want to thank you guys so much for watching
and stay safe.
And I'll see you guys in the next one.
Bye (lips smacking).