02 Apr A Quarantine of Consumption
With Coronavirus on the rise and industries cutting way back, is there some good that can come from all of this? Li Edelkoort said it best in an interview with Dezeen: “It seems we are massively entering a quarantine of consumption where we will learn how to be happy just with a simple dress, rediscovering old favorites we own, reading a forgotten book and cooking up a storm to make life beautiful.”
Since I started DE SMET over four years ago, this was always my hope for a better, more sustainable fashion industry. The pure event of the Coronavirus is having a major impact on all industries. Maybe this is the way the world is telling us to slow down, stop producing, stop consuming and take inventory of what you have and appreciate it.
Instead of feeding into the 24 hour news cycle, step back, unplug and connect to your creativity. Here are some of my favorite rituals, recipes and other ways to stay grounded right now. Please share yours in the comments section and I will feature them next week!
EAT CLEAN
Right now it is most important to keep your your immune system strong and eat as clean as you can. I am so grateful for Laura’s post on The First Mess, highlighting all of her best Pantry Friendly Recipes. We are slowly making our way through these recipes and haven’t been disappointed yet! Stay tuned here, I will be sharing some of my own favorite plant-based recipes in the coming weeks.
WRITE
Start to journal everyday, it is a meaningful way to reflect on your day and the uncertainties that surround us all right now. Personally, I am a fan of the ninety-cent Muji notebooks to capture my thoughts. If you want more of a guided journal, Self Practice offers a workbook that encourages intentional journaling with actionable tasks. I’ve also taken this time to write cards to my 90+ year old grandparents who live in a place where no visitors are allowed.
LISTEN
Dive into a good podcast or listen to one of the live-streaming concerts available online. Our house is all about true crime podcasts with some of our favorites including Crime Junkie and Serial. NPR and Billboard are constantly updating the list of live-stream concerts becoming available.
CONNECT WITH YOURSELF
Take this time to listen to your body, what does it tell you? How does stress effect your sleep, mood, digestion? What activities help you relieve stress? How do the foods you eat make you feel? This may be the only time you have time for true self-reflection. Need help? These Know Yourself cards from School of Life might help you discover your most inner needs.
DRAW
Join a figure drawing class for $15 with Body Confidence. There is additional time to share your work with everyone at the end of the class which make for an inspiring and uplifting experience. You can also Zoom your friends and create your own figure drawing classes (this reminds me of my time in design school when we would pose for each other – with clothes on – so we could learn how to draw the draped clothing).
READ
There is no time like the present to pick up that book you started but never had time to finish. It’s also time to finally dive into your Smithsonian subscription that has been piling up on the coffee table. Another great option is to start a bookclub with friends using Zoom to video chat about the chosen book. What are you reading right now?
MOVE
There are so many amazing yoga, dance and workout studios offering free or donation-based classes right now. Use this time to find one (or more) that you like. For yoga classes I am enjoying Alo Moves and Modo Yoga. For dance: Ryan Heffington and Movement for Everybody. For more intense workouts, try this quick 15 minute Tracy Anderson for Goop workout or sign up for a 2-week free trial for The Class with live classes streaming 7-days a week.
EXPLORE
Take advantage of the virtual museum tours all over the world from the Getty in Los Angeles and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
CONNECT WITH NATURE
If you live in a city like New York, then you should absolutely stay inside. In which case, take advantage of virtual tours of some the world’s most beautiful places. If you want to get the full experience and don’t have a virtual reality headset (do people really buy those?) then opt for a projector that will give you life-size views of nature’s wonders. Since it is earth month, it only seems fitting to explore the hidden worlds of National Parks including a virtual tour of Bryce Canyon in Utah (pictured above). If you live in a more rural area or were lucky enough to escape the city, take a walk in nature (sans phone) and really listen. This is a great time to hear the new birds that have just migrated back after the winter and discover the budding trees. It’s such a transformative time in nature right now.
If you want to follow along on what I’m up to during this time of quarantine, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories which are updated daily with new projects, behind the scenes footage, more about my design process, plant-based meals, nature walks and more. I’d also love to know more about what you are doing to stay grounded, please share here in the comments.
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