Make Quarantine More Bearable With These Essentials (No, Not Toilet Paper, But Also, Yes, That)

A basic disaster kit is important to have regardless of the chaotic time we currently live in, because if there’s not a coronavirus stomping about, there’s always the chance of a god damn earthquake (or something). So, if you haven’t already made preparation plans for a major disaster, there is no better time than the present. As far as food, water, and basic necessities go, make sure you have a 14-day supply in your emergency preparedness kit. The best foods to buy include non-perishables like canned goods, pantry-living snacks like granola bars and nuts, and other dry goods.

Make sure you have on hand what you would already be using anyway. Prepare for a couple of weeks at home with toiletries, laundry detergent, a thermometer, toothpaste, contact lens solution, and anything you regularly use and need daily. Have cleaning products handy—Clorox wipes, Lysol all-purpose cleaning spray (or something comparable), dish soap (you will be doing more dishes), regular soap, Swiffer sheets (or something to dust with), etc. It’s important to wipe down surfaces and door handles, and keep everything as clean as possible.

Cleaning wipes for items you touch frequently or carry around with you (phone, glasses) are also important to have around. Can’t find what you need because people have panic-bought it out of the stores? There are a number of websites that track what stores have what products, as well as an app called Markk that acts as a sort of Instagram-like feed, showing you photos of shelves at stores near you in real-time.

It is, of course, important to stock up on all of the health and wellness products necessary to keep you safe and clean. However, in addition to this, it’s also important to feel as good as you possibly can and that means putting nourishing and nice smelling things on your body. Trader Joe’s has a bunch of new (and technically unnecessary) beauty products and they are PERFECT for not going anywhere while also feeling nice and smelling good. So, treat yourself to a budget-friendly spa day at home. Get yourself some strawberry body scrub and a watermelon overnight face mask. Grab a Supreme Hydrating Eye Cream. Don’t touch your eyes without washing your face first, sure, but be sure to keep those under-eye areas nice and moisturized, as well.

Drinking plenty of fluids is key to staying healthy, so during your quarantine staycation inside of your own home, you better be drinking water. Have plenty of fluids on hand in your home, including some with a high amount of electrolytes (like SmartWater or Pedialyte). Pedialyte even has little electrolyte packets, so that you can have a bunch on hand (and not have to buy multiple bottles of it). Investing in a Brita filter might also be a good idea, if you want to live that bottled water life, without the bottles.

It was already a good idea to take a multivitamin daily, as well as ingest a healthy amount of vitamin C (and other vitamins), so now is as good of a time as ever to make it an everyday habit. In addition to a daily multivitamin, Emergen-C Everyday Immune Support gummy vitamins are also a nice little treat for your health–they’re packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants that help to support a healthy immune system.

Why not travel into a story, hm? Personally, I treat my own apartment like it’s a bookstore, in that I have a wall of books I have not read yet–perfect for if, say, I have to stay home for whatever reason. Remember to always support local independent bookstores and businesses if you can, but understandably it might be a little more difficult to make it out to one at this time, so in that case, both Barnes & Noble and Amazon have your back as far as book delivery is concerned. But, hey, after all of this is behind us? Support your local independent bookstores–they will need it badly.

Recreational marijuana use is legal in my state of California and you better believe I have made sure to have a little weed on hand in times of anxiety (or just to f—— relax). In California, MedMen and Eaze both offer same-day delivery services (as long as you are at least 18 years of age).

During a time of stress, or any other time in existence, getting it all out and writing down your feelings can be one of the most freeing things you can do. Do not hold them in–let them fly free. Even the act of just putting them down somewhere else other than your own head can rid your body of anxiety. Perhaps now is the time to invest in a journal, or at least write in an online journal of sorts (I like Dropbox Paper, which is a lot like Google Docs, but simpler—basically it’s the equivalent of a blank piece of paper on your laptop).

Grab a sketchbook and draw out your fantasies. Hell, draw a map to Bean Mountain, like I did after going to the store to buy beans only to find them completely sold out.

Am I good at drawing? Absolutely not–in fact, I’m terrible at it. However, I did it anyways, and felt… really good? I was laughing? I was laughing! It was a miracle.

With gyms everywhere closing indefinitely, you’re going to have to get a little creative as far as your workouts go–unless you’re a railroad tycoon living inside of a house made of pure gold, in which case, I hope you are enjoying using your Peloton. For the rest of us, however, it’s all about those sweet streaming workouts–yoga on YouTube, cardio on Amazon Prime, etc. Some fitness studios are even going digital and offering streaming classes, so if you can afford to support local businesses in that way during this time, definitely consider it.

Regardless of what you buy to keep yourself sane during your home time, remember to treat yourself with kindness and know that all of us are going through it. Take care of yourself and, if you can, treat yourself.