With many people finding coronavirus lockdown means they have more time to fill, there’s lots of interest in new hobbies.
Some people might take up knitting, or growing a sourdough starter to bake bread, but if you have a little outdoor space, gardening is also a good idea as you can create somewhere beautiful to sit when the weather is good.
Today for My Quarantine Routine, we’re with new gardener Chloe Gosiewski.
Chloe, 32, is a Life Coach who was living in Camberley, Surrey but she is now self-isolating in the Welsh Valleys with her mum Kym and stepdad Rob.
Just before the pandemic, Chloe decided to quit her job and focus on her business, a wellness platform called One Way Journey.
Her dream of running her own wellness retreats has been halted due to the Coronavirus. Like so many others, she is now trying to find a new way to operate and has taken up gardening to pass the time.
This is how she spent Thursday 26 March.
7.30 am
Woke up but didn’t ‘get up’. Instead, I laid in bed with my laptop and had a scroll through social media. It is not a habit that I want to get into, so I have made a mental note to get up straight away tomorrow.
My news feed reads like a horror movie, one I had never thought would become a reality. There is an aching in my gut which I can only assume is worry.
8 am
I got out of bed and got washed and dressed and had a cup of tea and egg roll for breakfast. We have three big dogs, so we are able to use our daily exercise by taking them out. At the end of our road is a lovely countryside walk and river and today Bandit took a swim in the river!
9 am
I am currently working from home. My new office is also my bedroom. I am lucky to have a very large room, which means I can keep some space between where I sleep and where I work. My accommodation in Surrey was a studio, so I am quite used to living in one room.
My desk is next to a big window which overlooks the countryside and my room is filled with lots of plants so I give them a spray of water.
I have some sweetcorn, tomatoes and spinach growing from seeds on the window sill at the moment, it’s exciting to watch them grow each day. I sit down at my desk to do some work.
11 am
Work is pretty slow for me at the moment, I am trying to find proactive things to do to occupy my time, so I have had a great idea!
I am going to start digging up the garden to start growing my own wellness. I march downstairs to announce to my parents my new plan and where I can find the tools to do this! Rob sets me up with a spade and a large fork and off I go.
12 pm
This is much harder than I had anticipated! My parents had joked that I would likely find a bike under there, although there was no bike, there were big slabs of concrete and random pieces of glass.
It is a beautiful sunny day though and I am wearing a vest top and shorts. Definitely worth it.
We live along the main road and there seems to be a lot of ambulances going by which fills me with an overwhelming sense of fear.
1 pm
I have come in to answer a few emails and watch a quick YouTube video on how to prepare the ground for planting before having a cup of tea and hopping on a Skype call.
I am really starting to appreciate technology and the ability to be able to connect with people from all around the world.
2 pm
I am back out in the garden again, ready to plant the cabbages, only to find Layla has decided to use it as her new throne.
I am now hunting through the shed to look for something to make a fence out of. I have a few ideas which I will attempt tomorrow. No planting today, in case one of the dogs decides to use it as a bed, or digging spot.
3 pm
My mum has made a lovely casserole, I am a vegetarian so she has had to make a separate one for me. She is a great mother.
We sat at the table discussing getting some chickens (for eggs), they both seem to be up for the idea, providing I do some research into chicken care. This is added to my ‘things to do in quarantine’ list.
4 pm
I am back in the office, my working day is not traditional by any means. I work with professionals in the wellness industry and my coaching clients are based in the UK and USA, so I often have to base my day around them, which leaves me with random times that need filling, hence the garden project.
6 pm
Time to meditate. Gardening has been a great practice for grounding myself, but I like to meditate every day. I find it calms my anxiety and gives me a new sense of clarity.
7 pm
I have a session with a client in America, they too are self-isolating. This is affecting so many people across the entire world. There seems to be a sense of unity in the separation.
8 pm
I have switched the laptop off. Some days I find myself working longer hours at home than I ever did in an office. I try to make sure this isn’t consistent every day, but I do struggle with switching off some days.
My mum has called me though because all the neighbours are headed out to their doorsteps to give our NHS workers a cheer and what a beautiful moment that was! Thank you NHS and key workers.
9 pm
Self-care for me is a hot bath with some essential oils and a lit candle, it is a chance to be quiet and still and let the day wash away.
10 pm
I am rewatching Prison Break on Netflix (this was the program that inspired me to go to Panama in 2016 (not the prison obviously, that would be weird).
I find watching something I enjoy that I have seen before requires little concentration but just enough distraction.
11 pm
Bedtime!
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/30/quarantine-routine-chloe-life-coach-taken-gardening-12475558/?ITO=squid
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