3 things I’ve learned thanks to COVID-19

1. Emergency Fund. Emergency Fund. Emergency Fund

No more than ever I understand the meaning of an emergency fund. Don’t get me wrong I understood the point of it before however the last two years I have not had the luxury of creating an emergency fund. Because of COVID-19 I have realized what an emergency fund could have done for us or could do for us should anyone in our family get COVID-19 or in an accident. Creating an emergency fund is more than just stashing away money. It is creating a safety net for you and your family to have peace of mind during uncertain times. With this new job starting (thankfully!) I will be able to not only pay off debts but I’ll be able to create an emergency fund. I want to do more than that though. I want to push myself to create an emergency fund for everyone in our family; $1000 for each person, $1000 for each of the dogs, and $1500 for the household as a whole. That way should any of us get into a sticky situation we have some money set aside for each of us. It has also made me realize how now more than ever I want to get our dogs insured because their health is just as important and vet bills are pricey. Trust me I know! On top of having an emergency fund for the dogs, insurance would pay us up to 80% back of most if not all vet bills incurred. That is a huge saving and definitely worth an extra $50 a month especially with an elderly dog and a young pup who eats everything.

2. Reusable items are your best friend

Ever go to the grocery store and have a hard time finding toilet paper, paper towels, pasta, or bread? Yeah me neither until this past month. It was a bit worrisome knowing that we may not have the necessary items in our household. Granted we always have a shower should we run out of toilet paper. But it’s knowing that we have to search for toilet paper as if we are in the apocalypse; that’s scary! In the last few weeks I have been researching reusable household items such as paper towels, makeup remover wipes, dryer sheets, etc. All of which are relatively easy to make yourself and limit your household waste. So in the upcoming months I will be DIYing some of these items and giving you a full review. To me knowing that I will be reducing the amount of waste my family produces from these reusable products is enough to make me try it out.

3. Mental Health is of the utmost importance right now

I, being someone who suffers from depression, anxiety, and OCD knows about this all too well. However some people are just learning about it for the first time. They are experiencing loss of plans, their daily routine, their contact with friends and family, and that can severely impact people mentally. There’s a meme going around saying “Check on your extroverted friends, we are not ok!”. To be honest we should be checking on each other. Whether we are introverted or extroverted. These times are scary, they are unknown and to some the unknown is the most terrifying thing ever.

For me I have learned ways to cope over the years;

• breathe in for 5 out for 4

• -claim 5 objects in the room I can touch that are stationary

• -ASMR videos or MP3s

• -get outside even for 5 minutes and breathe in focusing on the smells, sounds, and sights.

These are things that have taken years to perfect and find what works for me. Which to some may seem silly but for someone with depression or anxiety even these simple steps can be hard.

Something I did for myself during this quarantine was signing up for a daily email from an influencer on Instagram, @mathewlcarter. Though he’s not just any influencer, he is currently studying psychology and mental health. In his first email of, Quarantine Diaries, he mentioned the following

“ ... Then I'll write a "Non-Negotiable List" of 3 things that I must do every single bloody day. 

1. Exercise (chasing your partner with a broom counts)

2. Study 

3. R.A.K (random act of kindness) 

They must be ticked off every single day and are a "Non-Negotiable"

Lastly I'll write down my goals for the day.  

Not too many as you'll feel overwhelmed. 

But you need a target, something to focus on otherwise we're just moving through this existence without any meaning."

This email honestly as silly as it may seem made me cry, all because his logic made so much sense. It made so much sense that my mind gave in and finally took a breath. A breath of fresh thinking that I needed and I’m so grateful for it. He’s also greatly hilarious so it’s a no brainer that you also need to sign up for these daily ‘Quarantine Diaries’ emails.

Overall, I can say that COVID-19 truly gave me some perspective. That we as a human race can and should do more for ourselves, each other, and our planet. Has this pandemic taught you anything or made you think? What’s something you are doing for yourself or those around you during this uncertain time?

Heres to all of us, whether you’re in the medical field (which HUGE thanks to you) or those of us staying home and staying safe. We can do this!

Signing off,

The Navas

Quotes by Hello October via Pinterest