The Quarantine: A magic box to super human performances.
After almost one year living in my resorts away from home, I am back in Hong Kong and did my quarantine!
Everyone complains about the quarantine, but for me, this was an overdue break that my brain was so longing for.
Since early 2018, my wife and I have opened two resorts in Koh Samui and Sicily– And our demanding full time jobs “on the side”. Yes, nomadism is a wonderful idea and the future way of living, but relaxation actually comes from within — paradoxical as it may sound — and I found my true holiday here on a balcony. My hyper activism went down as commitments reduced and I can finally focus on the few things that I love.
The true point is fight or flight versus rest and digest, or Sympathetic versus Para-sympathetic nervous system activation. This is one of our pillars at Kapuhala but oftentimes, the excitement we get from our daily activities put us in a subconscious fight or flight mode. My real rest and digest was in fact achieved in a small balcony in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong.
Great concentration with less distraction
In my 15 sqm balcony I got everything I needed: my bike, yoga matt, kettlebells, walking treadmill and a computer on my standing desk. Every day I did the same things: wake up late, work, workout, walk, watch movies, do a second workout, read books, write articles, watch documentaries, write a poem, chat with friends and of course a lot of social media! Reduced space and distraction triggers focus, this was particularly applicable to me, and probably others with attention disorders. During this period I found an amazing concentration because of the reduced choices of activities. All the books I read expanded my culture and ideas, I cleaned my computer and my brain and shifted my focus on the important things.
I followed a pomodoro technique and set tasks for the day, then accomplish them one by one.
Saying no is self-care
During my quarantine, I also turned down many requests from “outside” my balcony door. My excuse was: Sorry I can’t do it because I am in quarantine (with a big smile!). This experience gave me a guilt-free hall pass to keep only top priorities and say no to less important tasks. I was able to talk to other people via zoom or telephone without the stress of the next appointment, which made me a calmer person. By being physically restricted I saved lots of time to get so much more done. It was a great excuse to learn how to say no and not feel guilty about it.
Health concerns aside, being in quarantine was a golden chance for me to relax and do whatever I love for 14 days. If you find yourself in a similar situation, embrace it while it lasts and fill your “magic box” with all the stuff you need — books, weights, stationary bikes, documentaries, puzzles and a good sound system even. Between the pandemic and world issues many people are losing their sanity, take this time to grow yourself culturally — the moment you are out, you will be ready for new challenges. By working at a much slower pace the world is now forcing us to, it gives us time to re-strategize our businesses and the moment the pandemic is over, we will be ready for the next level.
My daily routine for the 14-day quarantine
Morning:
- Wakeup whenever my body tells me to. This is another magnificent thing about quarantine. No meetings, no external commitment. I am going to continue this habit as it is good for my brain — whenever I can, of course.
- Relaxed Coffee and news browsing in peace, plan my day and daily to-do based on the greater task list.
- Workout: 1–2 hours of cardio on my amazing indoor training bike while I listen to music or audiobooks. My cardio time is my knowledge center. In 2020, I’ve listened/read over 100 books so far. To do 30–60 min of HIT or weight training, all you need is a stationary bike, yoga mat and some kettlebells. If it’s impossible to have a bike, high knees reps can be a good replacement.
- Before I start my work, my kids are back from school and I talk to them through the window. The fact that I have to retain their attention makes me more focused on them which is always a good thing.
Afternoon:
- Work from my standing desk (which I use while walking on my walking treadmill). I use a pomodoro technique and assign no more than 25 min break intervals to projects. Every now and then I swing a kettlebell or do a yoga stretch.
- More work. Every afternoon I spend at least 4–5 hours working, either laptop or calls. Very focused without distraction.
- At the end of the working day I journal on Evernote.
Evening:
- Little drink of anything alcoholic and low glycemic index. Gin is my favorite with some soda and stevia.
- Dinner is my primary and only meal of the day because I am an intermittent faster. I will grace for 2–3 hours eating my 2500+ calories of mostly vegan ingredients prepared by my family.
- A little “glass time” with kids (I chat with them through the glass and me drinking another glass!)
- Some brain-numbing Netflix or just some relaxing classical music
- I go to bed happy and relaxed, and ready for another day of work tomorrow!
Being in quarantine doesn’t have to boring, but it can be relaxing and productive at the same time, and a time to grow intellectually and physically too — my time flew faster than ever. If I have to travel again, and I probably will have to for my businesses around the world, work-from-quarantine will be my work-life detox and I will totally do it again with no complaints.
By then, maybe there will be no more quarantine, otherwise I will just say: Welcome quarantine, nice to see you again!
