03/15 Video Message on Social Distancing, Tips and More
Hi beautiful people!
This will serve as the hub for all things corona virus / covid-19 on Weird for Beauty. Below you’ll find my journalings as well as video updates that include tips for you to stay mentally and physically healthy during these uncertain times.
If you’re reading this and are spending a lot of time at home, I recommend writing down a schedule asap. Wake up time, exercise and meditation time (very important!), phone calls time, creativity time, social media time. Schedule things out so that you don’t let time slip you by without making the most of it, trust me – it will help you keep your sanity.
Sending you love,
Mark Snyder, Founder, Weird for Beauty
Tuesday, March 17 Day 7
After reading the warnings from China and Italy, I began to self “shelter in place” on Tuesday March 10th, about a week before most people in the United States began. We all should have started weeks earlier.
In the last 7 days, I’ve taken one long walk outside and went down my elevator once to check my mail and grab groceries that were delivered to me from a friend. I’m staying mentally strong through meditation (check out meditation minis podcast!), contemplating on gratitude, being creative, spending time on my balcony, and talking with friends, family, and coworkers.
As I write this, it is mandatory to stay home in San Francisco, where I live. Most people are taking the situation more seriously now, but not quite seriously enough to match the dire situation. Sadly, it’s going to take a growing number of deaths and overrun hospitals for people to truly, truly take the extreme measures experts say is necessary. It will be too late.
I feel personally quite prepared for this moment. I have a job that allows me to temporarily work from home. I grew up deep in the woods on a mountain where I began meditating at a very young age. I would spend months at time, seeing mostly just my family, without going down into the valley. I also live with a great deal of anxiety. Surprisingly, after the first wave of panic, I believe my anxiety has prepared me for this moment. I am centering in the calm side of this global pause.
I am practicing a strict version of “shelter in place” because I live in a crowded building: elevators are high risk.
I’ve had pneumonia before, and even the thought of getting something like that again makes me quiver. Most importantly, I do not wish to be responsible for spreading it to someone else who may be less able to fight it off.
I woke up to the sound of birds this morning, in downtown San Francisco. It was beautiful and eerie at once.
I’ve been participating in video chats, video happy hours, and calling friends and family. Today I called my childhood babysitter who is 79 years old. She recently celebrated her 63 year wedding anniversary. I teared up when I heard her voice. She shared stories with me about how when I was a child I would help her decorate for the holidays and go to yard sales with her.
Wednesday, March 18th Day 8
It’s the strangest thing. I’ve experienced so much more anxiety in my life but you would think this would be the big one. I was more anxious when losing my boyfriend and husband. I was more anxious when being bullied in high school. Now, with death knocking at all our doors, I am generally calm. Annoyed, sure. And there’s waves of anxiety from time to time, but I am bizarrely, and spiritually in my element at this time.
This afternoon, I geared up in my mask, my purell in pocket, my wipeable vegan leather bag and went to The Market, an expensive market across the street today. The elevator was empty both ways – a big relief! I got some frozen meals, coffee, oat milk. The cashiers were not wearing masks, and neither was anyone else in the store. I still feel a few steps ahead of where the nation is going.
I facetimed with friends over glasses of wine, then played jackbox.tv using zoom with other friends.
I had so much fun, and yet I feel a little regretful like it’s great to hang out with friends, but I have to be careful, just like before quarantine, that I don’t start spending all my time with friends and neglect my personal pet projects that I want to attend to during this indefinite window of opportunity.
Thursday, March 19th, Day 9
Today in addition to my 9-5 job, I meditated, did yoga, then made a funny yoga skin care routine video for Weird for Beauty. I hope you enjoy it!
The news has gotten more dire. I had a strong wave of sadness and anxiety, but worked through it.
Tomorrow I’m going to start on my book projects.
Saturday, March 21, Day 11
Today I did some yoga, listened to music, and did a little work too.
I also took a trip downstairs. The stairwell is open now. I walked down 18 flights, mask on, and didn’t touch the railings. Went outside on a little walk, and when I came back I got my mail including a huge heavy case of Hint water. My other mail package of hand soap and cleaner from amazon had been stolen and my meal delivery is stuck in South San Francisco since Thursday 🙁
There was a big gay circuit party hosted on Zoom with 700 people dancing in their apartments! It was so fun, and so special – you could really feel the love! It was nice to participate without having to get dressed, go out, dance all night, do drugs…. Just having green tea but participating at home was so fun. I hope in the future actual circuit parties are streamed on Zoom for people to join in.
