Self-Reflection: A Guide to Self-Improvement At Home

Like everyone else, I started 2020 with high hopes, big dreams, and a long list of items to check off my bucket list. I love January as it is my birth month. Every year, January flies by. This year, it didn't disappoint again. My parents, who live in Turkey, came to visit me in Boston, and then we took a family trip to Puerto Rico. First time on the island for all three of us, we were especially excited to escape to the heat from the cold of New England.

On our first day in Puerto Rico, I heard the heartbreaking news of Kobe's death, which left me heavy-hearted for the rest of the trip. On our way back, I read the announcement of the first confirmed Coronavirus case in Boston. The news made me especially worried for my parents, who would be traveling back to Turkey the next day on a day-long trip, hitting three different international airports on their way, including Logan Airport. Luckily, they made it home safe.

February went by waiting for the Coronavirus to hit the United States, certain of its upcoming arrival, but uncertain what would follow next. Then, at the beginning of March, I got the anticipated news from my company, indicating everyone would be working from home indefinitely until the Coronavirus pandemic dies down. That is when everyone's lives took a turn.

The first couple of weeks of social distancing were the toughest. I am used to a fast-paced life where I do so much every day. Adjusting to spending all my time at home was tough. I found myself feeling lazy in these first weeks and struggling to find motivation for all the things I could squeeze into a workday on top of the 2+ hours I spent driving around before the pandemic. Now, I had so much more time on my hands, but no desire to do anything. Luckily, I was able to snap out of this negative state fast.

By committing to a regular exercise routine, I was able to pull myself out of my lazy state. I can never stick to a diet, but whenever I exercise regularly, I find myself getting more organized and motivated in other aspects of my life, such as work or eating habits. So, that's the first thing I did – I started exercising as many times as I could every week. Once I mastered a routine that worked for me, I started realizing that my work productivity increased naturally. I found myself cooking healthier to compliment the physical work I put into my body.

To fill my time at home in a productive manner, I started looking into what I might be interested in learning or practicing during this time when there is room for me to focus on myself. I won't lie and say that I took advantage of every minute of every day, but I did my best to be productive for the most part, as if it was a regular workday. I started seeing the quarantine as an opportunity to think, reflect, and discover how to improve myself personally, physically, and professionally.

Here are some things that kept me busy, learning, and entertained in the past couple of months that I would like to share:

Exercise & Meditation: As an avid CorePower Yogi before COVID-19, I started practicing at home with their On-Demand videos until I went through all of them and started craving new flows and practices. Now, I am using Alo Moves and Gaia. They have a wide selection of yoga, fitness, and meditation classes with different levels of difficulty and intensity. The last platform I can suggest is ClassPass, where you can access various workout videos for free if you had a membership before the Coronavirus closures.

Education: I am now going through Crash Course's US History videos that I was first introduced to during AP US History. Their content is entertaining and educational. National Geographic is another popular and reliable destination to soak up some knowledge on various subjects.

Professional: There is so much you could do here. It's is a great time to learn tools and software that will help in your career. I am learning Adobe Photoshop to prepare myself for my Master's in Advertising. Start with the free tutorials and go from there. Getting certified in subjects or tools that are relevant to you is another excellent way. A lot of online platforms offer free certification upon completion of online classes. Drift and Hubspot are two of my suggestions here, but really, the sky is the limit. Just pick things that you enjoy!

Beauty & Fashion Tips: Vogue Beauty Secrets is my favorite on YouTube. Almost every print and online magazine has a YouTube channel so that you can take your pick!

Cooking: I have been watching Food Network and using their mobile app for new recipes.

Books: I especially liked Ronan Farrow's Catch & Kill and Tayari Jones' An American Marriage among the ones I read lately. Life and Other Near-Death Experiences was another light read that I enjoyed.

Movies & Shows: Michael Jordan's documentary The Last Dance is a must-see, and I quite enjoyed the movie Just Mercy (in tears), which is based on a true story.

There you have it! These are the things that I have been keeping myself occupied with during social distancing, and I will continue most of these even after life goes back to normal. I know that everybody likes different things, and this list can be modified significantly or lightly to fit your personality and interests. The point is to put in the effort to better yourself little by little each day. Unfortunately, we can't change what is going on in the world, but we can make the best of what we have and try to become a better version of ourselves every day. So, stay focused and happy self-improvement!