Tag: Tips

  • 5 Tips for Staying Healthy While Social Distancing

    5 Tips for Staying Healthy While Social Distancing

    As someone who is privileged enough to work remotely, I’ve developed a handy set of tools and strategies for dealing with some of the issues that come along with spending most of your time at home. During this growing coronavirus pandemic, it’s paramount for people to stay home, practice social distancing, and avoid putting yourself or others in danger unnecessarily. Many are forced to stay home or at least severely limit their normal activities. These challenges are only made more daunting for parents of small children and the immunocompromised. Since we’re only going to get through this together, I thought I’d lay out some of the lessons I’ve learned for working from and staying at home without losing your mind from loneliness or boredom.

    5. Exercise & Meditate

    With all of the craziness going on, it would be understandable to forget some of your normal routines. Among brushing your teeth and flossing, I suggest you specifically take time out of your day to exercise, and maybe even meditate, to help yourself let off some steam, relax, and keep your body fit and healthy. You may not be able to go to the gym, but there are plenty of options for you to exercise while practicing social distancing, even if you don’t have enough space to lift weights at home. Try going for a hike in the woods or a jog around the block, making sure to stay away from crowded areas. Yoga or other exercises that can be done in the home are great for keeping your body and mind happy, healthy, and ready to tackle your to-do list for the day.

    4. Go for a Drive

    I grew up in a rural farm town, so I’m very familiar with the concept of “going for a drive” whenever I was bored as a kid. My friends and I would drive down to the beach, drive to a nearby town, or drive in any direction and see where it took us. Although some of us can’t leave the house for non-essential reasons, others may find solace in getting out of the house for a bit without putting themselves in danger of contracting the coronavirus. Getting out of the house may sound counterproductive, but as long as you practice social distancing and stay safe, going for a scenic drive might be exactly what you need to overcome cabin fever.

    3. Read a Book

    With all non-essential workers staying home, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stream high-quality video or play games online thanks to folks hogging the bandwidth. Do you know what doesn’t require bandwidth to provide endless entertainment? Books. I’m sure you have a list of books you’ve told yourself that you want to finish reading, but you just never find the time. Now you have the time. Better yet, start a book club or invite a friend to read something along with you so that you have something to discuss over video chat. Whether its fiction or nonfiction, classical or contemporary, I can guarantee you that there is a book that you will enjoy out there. If money is an issue, there are communities entirely focused on sharing free e-books online (/r/freeebooks for example) where you can find plenty of material to peruse through.

    One of my New Years’ resolutions was to read a book each month, and although I’m a little behind thanks to everything that’s happened these past few months, I’m making a lot of progress and enjoying every second of it. I still enjoy Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and CBS All Access, but given we don’t know whether capitalism will survive this mess, you better start enjoying books because they’re going to survive long past all of this other crap.

    2. Start a Collaborative Project

    A big part of staying sane during this quarantine is making sure to communicate with others despite social distancing. Video chats and Discord are great options for staying connected, but if you often struggle to come up with something to talk about, consider starting a collaborative project with someone. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, but giving you and your friends something to work on is a great way to bring everyone together towards a common goal. I’m personally working with my friends on a few game development projects and chatting with my writing group about the progress we’re making on our individual stories. Whatever gets you and your friends engaged in something happy and productive will do wonders towards defeating the ever-encroaching cloud of loneliness following us all through this quarantine.

    1. Create Divides Between Work and Play

    A big part of my success in working from home for the past 5 years is separating my “work” environment from my “home” environment, both in terms of physical space and in terms of my state of mind. Having an office, special chair, or even just another device (if you work with computers, try using your desktop for work and your laptop for play, for example) can help you be more productive, stay focused, and feel better once work is finished for the day. Being able to “turn off” your work brain and relax is essential to feeling comfortable while working from home.

    If you use emails or instant messaging for works, set a specific time reserved for reading emails and responding to messages. This will help cut down on distractions and keep you from checking your phone/email unnecessarily while you aren’t working. Set up silent alerts on your phone if you have to, but be careful about giving up too much time “off the clock” if you aren’t being compensated.

    Needless to say, we’re all in this together, even though if we’re trying to keep our distance. Stay safe, check in on your loved ones, and think of others who are less privileged than you during this crisis. The only way we’re going to kick this virus’s ass is by working together by staying at and working from home.

  • 5 Ways to Say “I Quit” in 2020

    5 Ways to Say “I Quit” in 2020

    Quitting isn’t always easy. Whether it’s a New Years’ resolution or a lifestyle change brought on by external forces, it can be really difficult to break a bad habit or give up a guilty pleasure. Thankfully, going cold turkey isn’t your only option going into 2020. As someone who has spent a lot of the last decade having to drastically change my lifestyle and diet, here are just a few of the tricks I’ve picked up along the way.

    5. Find a Healthy Alternative

    While this may sound like a no-brainer (and it is), finding a suitable alternative to whatever you’re trying to quit is much more nuanced than latching onto the next best thing. First of all, everyone is different so your alternative may also be drastically different from someone else’s. If you are cutting out coffee or resolving to get off the couch more often, you’re probably going to have to try a few different solutions to find the one that best suits your needs, whether that be drinking more tea or jogging early in the morning.

    Don’t get too caught up in what has worked for others and what hasn’t worked for you yet. The goal is to transition from one habit or behavior to another. Whatever works for you should be just fine and it’s worth the wait and patience it can sometimes take to find the solution to help achieve your goal.

    4. Add Accountability

    For some, accountability comes as naturally as breathing. For everyone else, however, finding an external source of accountability will suffice. If you are planning on going to the gym more in 2020, invite a friend to go along with you to keep yourself from flaking. If your resolution is to write more, try scheduling a sprint with another writer to see how many words you can both write in a set amount of time. Sometimes it can be as simple as announcing your latest project or goal to your friends on social media. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t also work on being your own motivating factor, however.

    3. Remind Yourself

    I can’t speak for everyone, but my biggest barrier to personal progress is often my own memory. It’s much easier to plan for my next day the night before than it is to actually change my behavior in the morning. Like Leonardo De Caprio in Inception, I often carry around a totem that represents whatever goal I’m reaching for as a reminder. For my latest attempts at changing my diet, I wore a bracelet to help remind myself how I feel when I mess up and eat something I’m not supposed to.

    Setting up automatic reminders on your phone can be a great way to keep your goal in focus for the new year.

    Find something that will help remind yourself of your goal and how important it is to you. It doesn’t have to be a physical object; setting up automatic reminders on your phone can be a great way to keep your goal in focus for the new year.

    2. Automate the Process

    While technology may very well be one of the things you are quitting in 2020, there are still plenty of tools to take advantage of to keep yourself on track. Smartphones, smart home devices, and other gadgets can help easily automate your goal setting, but something as simple as a paper calendar can do the trick to remind yourself and document your progress.

    Once again, finding what works right for you is the goal, so be kind to yourself if whatever process you are trying doesn’t immediately work out for you. These things take patience and practice, but it will be worth it to help keep yourself on track and motivate yourself to keep going. Just think of the relief you’ll feel when you look back at your records to see how far you’ve come.

    1. Iterate & Adjust

    Sometimes, goals are meant to be reevaluated. Obviously, this is based entirely on the context of your specific situation, but if the scenario warrants it, take the time to look back on the progress you’ve made to ensure that it’s still worth the effort. Quitting smoking cigarettes or excessive drinking will be worth it regardless, but if your goal is to cut down on your cheese intake and it’s seriously impacting your quality of life, maybe it would be worth focusing on something else that will bring you more happiness over the long run.

    Don’t get too caught up on the guilt of “failing” your New Years’ resolution if it is at the cost of your general well being. This time of year should be a motivating factor, not another stressor making things harder and more aggravating. If your goals in 2019 don’t match up with your reality in 2020, don’t beat yourself up about shifting your focus and adjusting your plan to reach for a different finish line.

    Since you’ve made it this far, I want to wish you the best of luck in 2020!

    “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

    Chinese proverb
  • Bonnaroo 2019 – Preparing for the 1,000 Mile Road Trip

    Bonnaroo 2019 – Preparing for the 1,000 Mile Road Trip

    Bonnaroo 2019 is quickly approaching. This time next week, I’ll be relaxing in my campsite, bracing myself for the Tennessee mid-day heat. Before I get there, however, there’s a lot of preparation that I have to get done. In this post, I hope to outline a few of the most important items for any Bonnaroo fan to bring and things that I forget every year.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BxaQw82nmQx/

    First of all, register your wristband. That’s key. I also decided to sign up for the auto-payment feature through Paypal so that I don’t have to fuss about having my card on hand during the festival. Once the basics are established, then it’s time to pack for the road trip:

    1. Cooler: Although our Bonnaroo plan involves creating a large group camp, we still need to bring a cooler for ourselves while we’re on the road. We purchased a cooler on our trip to Maine last month, so that’s what we’re going to use this year. Our travel companions will be carrying the larger cooler for our campsite.
    2. Tent: We don’t plan on using our tent for Bonnaroo, given how hot it can get in the morning with or without a canopy. However, it is still essential to have some sort of shelter if all else fails. Also, who knows what might happen if someone needs to borrow a tent.
    3. Solar Shower: Sometimes it’s worth renting a motel room just to get a good shower. Othertimes, there’s a solar shower. Live Nation has done a great job to increase the quality and access to showers in Bonnaroo proper, so this may not come in handy during the festival, but it is a great way to save a few bucks either way.
    4. Bed: Since we’re driving down in a van, we’re assembling a bed in the back to give us a nice place to sleep on the drive down to Bonnaroo. Thankfully, with enough ventilation and a canopy to keep out the heat, the back of the van becomes a cool little hideout to escape from the hustle and bustle of Bonnaroo.
    5. Snacks: Although we usually pick up food for Bonnaroo itself at the Manchester Walmart, we always bring plenty of snacks for the drive down. Although the GSP says it’ll take ~16 hours, it’s more like 20-22 if we include stopping to eat, sleep, and pee. We’re going to want to bring a lot of snacks that I can eat, given how little I’ll be able to snack on at Southern gas station pit stops.
    6. Medicine: Gotta always take your medicine.
    7. Extra Car Supplies: Although I’ve tried my best to ensure that our vehicle is prepped for the trip, it is always wise to prepare for the worst. In our case, we bring a spare tire (not a doughnut), puncture repair kit, and some extra rags and tools if need be. Worst case scenario, we have AAA and festival insurance in our back pocket.

    Now that the van is packed, the next step is to ensure that I have everything packed for my time at Bonnaroo. Usually, I try to pack light and load up on luxury items like food and comfortable clothes. I’ll be bringing mostly shorts, with a few pairs of pants and sweat pants for colder nights, mostly t-shirts or light button-ups, my raggedy pair of Nikes I bought to bring to Japan two years ago and my knock-off Timberland boots in case of Mudderoo. Always be prepared.

    As mentioned previously, we also plan to bring a reflective tarp to act as a canopy over our van during the day to help keep it cool inside. We’re bringing sheets and other tapestries to hang from our easy-up as well. Solar lights wrapped around the campsite will help keep the place illuminated at night. Unlike previous years, I think I’ll be bringing a small propane camping stove to heat water for morning tea, coffee, oatmeal, etc. Fingers crossed.

    I was tempted to bring my guitar this year, but given its sentimental value to me, I don’t want to chance anything happening to it. That being said, I recommend anyone with musical talent to bring their instruments and get things going back at camp during off hours.

    My girlfriend and I are very excited to make it down to Tennessee again this year, but at this point, it’s just a case of making sure we have everything we need to bring before we ship out. Once we do, it should be smooth sailing from there.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BjtGX4jHYDc/

    There’s a chance I get another blog post out before we leave, but it’s slim. Better chance I publish something on the road. Thankfully, there’s a lot yet to discuss! Stay tuned here, on my Instagram, and on Twitter for more updates, blog posts, and musings.

  • Bonnaroo 2018 – Day 6: Recovery & a Safe Return Home

    Bonnaroo 2018 – Day 6: Recovery & a Safe Return Home

    If you heeded my advice from the last Bonnaroo 2018 blog post, you’ve prepared for an extra day of travel and general detox before trying to reenter the civilian world. Depending on how you got to Manchester, TN, you are either looking forward to a short, albeit cramped, airplane ride or you’re gearing up for a road trip back home. In our case, we had breakfast plans at our favorite local restaurant and lodge, a friend to drop off at the Chattanooga airport, and then approximately 1,500 miles to cover on our drive back to Massachusetts.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj5_Qx1nmOg/

    After meeting up with friends just outside of the festival and saying our goodbyes, we made our way Northeast towards Virginia. My girlfriend and I decided to stop later on in the night to sleep and recharge instead of driving through the night. We found a cozy rest stop, crawled into the back of our van and made room for ourselves among our luggage and festival supplies.

    Driving is rarely an issue for me, especially on long road trips. I grew up traveling from across New England every few months and have found highway driving very therapeutic ever since I got my license. The thing is, you never really remember just how long Virgnina and West Virginia are until you have to drive through them up route 81 for what feels like an eternity. Chalk this up to a whiny Yankee who is used to being able to drive to 5+ different states in less than 5 hours, but the wanderlust wears off after the 8th hour spent driving through the same cow-littered, green landscape.

    The only real thing of note about our trip back was what happened after a brief pit stop in Connecticut. Just moments after taking the wheel and reentering route 95, my girlfriend was able to narrowly avoid being mixed up in a car accident just two cars ahead of us. An SUV in the high-speed lane looked like it had been bumped from behind, causing it to spin out of control across the highway and smashing into an unsuspecting car in the right lane. Thankfully, we were also accompanied by an undercover police officer who, in record time, managed to establish a parameter, call for backup and attend to the scene.

    What’s the moral of this whole story?

    Stay safe, don’t do anything stupid, and get your butt home before the post-Bonnaroo blues sets in. There’s nothing worse than spending the best week of the year at Bonnaroo and then having something dumb happen to put a damper on your festivities.

    The few days after Bonnaroo can be a tough time for all of us. Here are a few ways to avoid the worst of the post-Bonnaroo blues, recover from your festival debouchery, and prepare for next year:

    • Keep the Music Going: Leaving the farm doesn’t mean that you have to leave the spirit of Bonnaroo behind! Embrace new ideas, share your favorite tunes, and always keep the music flowing. I recommend listening to the last few years of Bonnaroo playlists on Spotify during your drive home.
    • Keep in Touch: Whether it’s sharing your excitment for next year’s line-up on social media or discussing your road trip plans in a group chat, it’s always a good idea to stay connected with your Bonna-buds in between visits to the farm. There’s nothing like sharing the Bonnaroo vibe with kindred spirits that can help transport you right back to Manchester in the blink of an eye.
    • Shower & Relax: You’ve survived another year of Bonnaroo. You deserve a break from all of the vacation you just had. First, I’d suggest a shower, then followed quickly by a nap. Jaccuzi? You do you. A trip to the beach? Have a blast. Enjoy yourself and reenergize, because you’ve got work tomorrow morning and it’s going to SUCK.

    Next week, I’ll be discussing some of my preparation plans for our trip to Manchester, TN this June. We’ll be outfitting the van with a bed, packing the bare essentials, and planning our mid-road trip stops. There’s a lot to discuss and only a few weeks left to discuss it! Stay tuned here, on my Instagram, and on Twitter for more updates, blog posts, and musings.

  • Bonnaroo 2018 – Day 5: Sunday, FUNday.

    Bonnaroo 2018 – Day 5: Sunday, FUNday.

    The last day of Bonnaroo is here.

    Sunday on the farm brings with it a bittersweet feeling after a week in the Tennessee heat. On one hand, you are most likely sore, sweaty, and quickly realizing how much money you’ve spent with your Paypal-linked wristband. On the other, it’s the last day of the best week of the year and you’re ready to tear it up!

    adt5emtbjhs01.png

    If my memory recalls correctly (which is not always a safe bet at this point), our Sunday schedule for Bonnaroo 2018 was much more flexible than others. As long as I saw Thundercat and eventually ended up at the Killers before they closed their set, I knew I’d be alright. I also joined my girlfriend to watch Dua Lipa and was pleasantly surprised. I had listened to her on the radio in preparation for the trip and found her songs pleasant enough to nod along to, but I was impressed at how well she performed as a newer pop artist on the biggest stage of the festival.

    As expected, Thundercat was easily one of my favorite sets. After being introduced to him by a friend, I spent most of the beginning of 2018 hyping myself up for seeing him in Manchester. Thankfully, he did not disappoint. After the spectacular Pigeons Playing Ping-Pong set, listening to Thundercat jam with his band was a welcome cherry on top for a Bonnaroo that felt much more relaxed and pleasant than the ones I’ve previously attended.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLUof5gPk1/

    If Thundercat and Pigeons created a cohesive vibe for the Bonnaroo 2018 experience, the Killers joined Sheryl Crow and the Chic in teaching me an important moral for Bonnaroo 2018. There are a TON of songs that I know front to back and had no idea before seeing the artists live. I don’t think I’ve ever sat down to listen to the Killers on purpose, but nevertheless, I knew every tune and could even keep up with some of the lyrics when I saw them close out the festival. Their cultural ubiquity was lost on me until I sat down in front of the What Stage and witnessed it first hand.

    After witnessing a stranger steal our picnic mat right out from under us, our group transitioned back to camp and enjoyed the night relaxing and reminiscing about this year’s festival.

    Seriously. Someone swiped our mat right as we (a group of approximately twelve or so adults) stood up to applaud the end of the festival. It cost us $5 at Family Dollar and it had spent the past week getting soaked in sweat, mud, and rain, but sure man… take our picnic mat.

    They wouldn’t have had to wait much longer for stealing to turn into willing donations, however. Almost immediately after the Killers’ set wrapped up, people started leaving the farm. Once I woke up the next morning at around 10 AM, what had once been a flourishing tent city had become a barren waste of particularly American consumerism. More than a few attendees decided to leave their entire campsite behind, tent, cooler, and chairs included. Anyone who wanted to stock up on cheap camping supplies would have had a payday.

    As for myself, seeing the sea of crap left behind by festival-goers put a pretty depressing damper on the whole occasion. Sure, we had a lot of fun, but what kind of waste are we producing to create that fun? Someone mentioned that the Bonnaroo staff specifically donated and recycled most of the items left behind, but it felt like a convenient way to brush aside the fact that we, as a community, leave behind so much worthless crap for others to clean up. Bonnaroo takes place on a wonderful farm, not a movie theater, folks.

    All in all, Sunday of Bonnaroo 2018 was a fantastic way to cap off one of my favorite festivals. I didn’t have the normal anxiety of having to jam as much of the last day as I could into 24 hours and the shows that I did end up going to left me thoroughly impressed and satisfied.

    The last day of Bonnaroo is often bittersweat. Here are a few ways to make the time between the last set and your departure as smooth and relaxing as possible:

    • Hydrate or Dydrate: Depending on your mode of transporation, you may have a long road ahead of you. Make sure to stay hydrated and rejuvinated so that you can tackle the journey home in even strides.
    • Relish the Friends You’ve Made: The best part of Bonnaroo each year is meeting and staying in touch with the friends I meet and make on the farm. Before leaving, take some time to confirm contact info and say goodbye to friends you may have made during your trip. At least pretend that you’ll keep in touch.
    • Sleep the Night: If possible, stay an extra night after the end of Bonnaroo before leaving the farm. Avoiding the end-of-festival rush is worth the extra time it may take to get home. If you can’t stay an extra night, consider taking a nap or relaxing with your camp before leaving the farm. You’ll thank me on your drive home.
    • Stay Safe & Don’t Be Stupid: Here’s a simple tip. You’ve survived another Bonnaroo. You’re leaving Manchester, Tennessee and you’re on your way home. Don’t do anything stupid. Just please be safe and don’t take for granted that you’ve been able to enjoy a week of festivities at the best festival on Earth.

    Next week, I’ll describe our trip home from Tennessee, how we managed to reintegrate into real life, and provide some tips on what to do to keep the Bonnaroo spirit alive during your 9 to 5. If you’d be interested in reading more about my experiences traveling and visiting music festivals, feel free to shoot me a comment to let me know.