“I highly recommend recreating any delicious treat you used to indulge in on the outside. It immediately makes you feel powerful and savvy.”
As people around the country enter their fifth week of self-isolation, FASHION is reaching out to some of our favourite Canadians to get a peek into how they’re living their lives in lockdown (remember: #StayHomeSaveLives). Each week, keep an eye out for new self-isolation diaries from actors, designers, athletes and artists who are riding this uncertain time out with us.
Sarah Gadon, actor
I wrote a very dismal version of this diary on Wednesday. Then the weekend started to roll around and I thought, I can’t drown myself in a journal of self-pity, well, certainly not publicly anyways. Yes, I’m burnt out from the news, the isolation and the uncertainty, but we are all in the same boat. You don’t need me to state the obvious, so I tasked myself to rewrite this entry with one question in mind: What is making me feel good (or better) during this time? With this new directive I thought, maybe I could provide you with an idea or two, perhaps even a little laugh.
Let’s start with the morning and the souped-up espresso machine my fiancé (now working from home) bought two weeks ago. It’s a Breville something or other and I may not drink coffee like him but the machine does froth milk. When I make my morning matcha and I’m frothing up a sweet pillowy cloud of oat milk, I feel particularly skillful and important. I also decided to recreate Impact Kitchen’s Protein Force Bars, which I use to buy around the corner from my house. I highly recommend recreating any delicious treat you used to indulge in on the outside. It immediately makes you feel powerful and savvy. I’m getting close in both texture and taste to their version. I devour these silly damp little bars with the same satisfaction as I do a crossword puzzle. I’ve really fallen into a crossword vortex. The New York Times crossword app whispers to me throughout my day: “Sarah, come play me… 5 letter word…” It’s crack.
Nothing squashes my anxiety like a good workout. While some days are easier to get motivated than others, what always gives me a swift kick in the pants is scheduling them on Zoom or streaming a class with a friend (even ones in different cities or on different time zones). Afterwards, my workout buddy and I will FaceTime, have a tea and catch up. Here’s what I’ve been rotating between: I’ve been a die hard Essentrics fan for years because you don’t need any equipment for the program and it makes your body feel like heaven. Lekfit, because bouncing on a trampoline is a guaranteed endorphin rush. MisfitStudiothe, because their teachers have soul and their workouts are hard. Finally, Alex Dawson Yoga, especially her Sunday class which is an amazing way to reset your mind and body for the upcoming week. I also just learned about the Instagram account @thesweatseries. They round up all the free IG live classes in a day and post a schedule so you don’t have to check 15 different accounts. Taking class isn’t just about making yourself feel good, it’s also a way to support incredible female entrepreneurs and artists who own their own studios and businesses. When I take a class I feel connected to a community of people trying to get through this time by sweating it out. It also makes me feel less alone.
Speaking of being less alone, have you been to a Zoom party yet? It’s bad, right?! Especially when there are too many people and all you end up doing is changing your background 10 times. Instead of inducing social anxiety during a time of isolation (who knew that was even possible?), I recommend getting 5-10 people on Zoom and playing a game together. I’ve been playing Mafia and it’s so much fun. Most games have a virtual iteration you can find on their website—Catan, Scatagories, Tabletop, to name a few. Seriously, open a bag of chips, get yourself a drink and get your game face on. I had such a blast last weekend, it even felt like I went out! It’s also a good way to visit your friends or meet new ones and not just talk about everything that’s falling apart. Anticipate spending the first 20 minutes explaining rules, working through tech issues and sending out all the right links, but the wait is worth the 3-4 hours you will spend howling with laughter.
This time will pass and we will get through this. I hope you all take care of yourselves (even in just simple ways) so that when we come back, we come back strong. Until then, have some caffeine, dance around your house and play some good old-fashioned board games.
.%20Each%20week,%20keep%20an%20eye%20out%20for%20new%20self-isolation%20diaries%20from%20actors,%20designers,%20athletes%20and%20artists%20who%20are%20riding%20this%20uncertain%20time%20out%20with%20us.%0A%0ASarah%20Gadon,%20actor%0A%0AI%20wrote%20a%20very%20dismal%20version%20of%20this%20diary%20on%20Wednesday.%20Then%20the%20weekend%20started%20to%20roll%20around%20and%20I%20thought,%20I%20can’t%20drown%20myself%20in%20a%20journal%20of%20self-pity,%20well,%20certainly%20not%20publicly%20anyways.%20Yes,%20I’m%20burnt%20out%20from%20the%20news,%20the%20isolation%20and%20the%20uncertainty,%20but%20we%20are%20all%20in%20the%20same%20boat.%20You%20don’t%20need%20me%20to%20state%20the%20obvious,%20so%20I%20tasked%20myself%20to%20rewrite%20this%20entry%20with%20one%20question%20in%20mind:%20What%20is%20making%20me%20feel%20good%20(or%20better)%20during%20this%20time?%20With%20this%20new%20directive%20I%20thought,%20maybe%20I%20could%20provide%20you%20with%20an%20idea%20or%20two,%20perhaps%20even%20a%20little%20laugh.%20%0A%0ALet’s%20start%20with%20the%20morning%20and%20the%20souped-up%20espresso%20machine%20my%20fiancé%20(now%20working%20from%20home)%20bought%20two%20weeks%20ago.%20It’s%20a%20Breville%20something%20or%20other%20and%20I%20may%20not%20drink%20coffee%20like%20him%20but%20the%20machine%20does%20froth%20milk.%20When%20I%20make%20my%20morning%20matcha%20and%20I’m%20frothing%20up%20a%20sweet%20pillowy%20cloud%20of%20oat%20milk,%20I%20feel%20particularly%20skillful%20and%20important.%20I%20also%20decided%20to%20recreate%20Impact%20Kitchen’s%20Protein%20Force%20Bars,%20which%20I%20use%20to%20buy%20around%20the%20corner%20from%20my%20house.%20I%20highly%20recommend%20recreating%20any%20delicious%20treat%20you%20used%20to%20indulge%20in%20on%20the%20outside.%20It%20immediately%20makes%20you%20feel%20powerful%20and%20savvy.%20I’m%20getting%20close%20in%20both%20texture%20and%20taste%20to%20their%20version.%20I%20devour%20these%20silly%20damp%20little%20bars%20with%20the%20same%20satisfaction%20as%20I%20do%20a%20crossword%20puzzle.%20I’ve%20really%20fallen%20into%20a%20crossword%20vortex.%20The%20New%20York%20Times%20crossword%20app%20whispers%20to%20me%20throughout%20my%20day:%20“Sarah,%20come%20play%20me…%205%20letter%20word…”%20It’s%20crack.%09%0A%0ANothing%20squashes%20my%20anxiety%20like%20a%20good%20workout.%20While%20some%20days%20are%20easier%20to%20get%20motivated%20than%20others,%20what%20always%20gives%20me%20a%20swift%20kick%20in%20the%20pants%20is%20scheduling%20them%20on%20Zoom%20or%20streaming%20a%20class%20with%20a%20friend%20(even%20ones%20in%20different%20cities%20or%20on%20different%20time%20zones).%20Afterwards,%20my%20workout%20buddy%20and%20I%20will%20FaceTime,%20have%20a%20tea%20and%20catch%20up.%20Here’s%20what%20I’ve%20been%20rotating%20between:%20I’ve%20been%20a%20die%20hard%20Essentrics%20fan%20for%20years%20because%20you%20don’t%20need%20any%20equipment%20for%20the%20program%20and%20it%20makes%20your%20body%20feel%20like%20heaven.%20Lekfit,%20because%20bouncing%20on%20a%20trampoline%20is%20a%20guaranteed%20endorphin%20rush.%20MisfitStudiothe,%20because%20their%20teachers%20have%20soul%20and%20their%20workouts%20are%20hard.%20Finally,%20Alex%20Dawson%20Yoga,%20especially%20her%20Sunday%20class%20which%20is%20an%20amazing%20way%20to%20reset%20your%20mind%20and%20body%20for%20the%20upcoming%20week.%20I%20also%20just%20learned%20about%20the%20Instagram%20account%20@thesweatseries.%20They%20round%20up%20all%20the%20free%20IG%20live%20classes%20in%20a%20day%20and%20post%20a%20schedule%20so%20you%20don’t%20have%20to%20check%2015%20different%20accounts.%20Taking%20class%20isn’t%20just%20about%20making%20yourself%20feel%20good,%20it’s%20also%20a%20way%20to%20support%20incredible%20female%20entrepreneurs%20and%20artists%20who%20own%20their%20own%20studios%20and%20businesses.%20When%20I%20take%20a%20class%20I%20feel%20connected%20to%20a%20community%20of%20people%20trying%20to%20get%20through%20this%20time%20by%20sweating%20it%20out.%20It%20also%20makes%20me%20feel%20less%20alone.%20%0A%0ASpeaking%20of%20being%20less%20alone,%20have%20you%20been%20to%20a%20Zoom%20party%20yet?%20It’s%20bad,%20right?!%20Especially%20when%20there%20are%20too%20many%20people%20and%20all%20you%20end%20up%20doing%20is%20changing%20your%20background%2010%20times.%20Instead%20of%20inducing%20social%20anxiety%20during%20a%20time%20of%20isolation%20(who%20knew%20that%20was%20even%20possible?),%20I%20recommend%20getting%205-10%20people%20on%20Zoom%20and%20playing%20a%20game%20together.%20I’ve%20been%20playing%20Mafia%20and%20it’s%20so%20much%20fun.%20Most%20games%20have%20a%20virtual%20iteration%20you%20can%20find%20on%20their%20website—Catan,%20Scatagories,%20Tabletop,%20to%20name%20a%20few.%20Seriously,%20open%20a%20bag%20of%20chips,%20get%20yourself%20a%20drink%20and%20get%20your%20game%20face%20on.%20I%20had%20such%20a%20blast%20last%20weekend,%20it%20even%20felt%20like%20I%20went%20out!%20It’s%20also%20a%20good%20way%20to%20visit%20your%20friends%20or%20meet%20new%20ones%20and%20not%20just%20talk%20about%20everything%20that’s%20falling%20apart.%20Anticipate%20spending%20the%20first%2020%20minutes%20explaining%20rules,%20working%20through%20tech%20issues%20and%20sending%20out%20all%20the%20right%20links,%20but%20the%20wait%20is%20worth%20the%203-4%20hours%20you%20will%20spend%20howling%20with%20laughter.%20%0A%0AThis%20time%20will%20pass%20and%20we%20will%20get%20through%20this.%20I%20hope%20you%20all%20take%20care%20of%20yourselves%20(even%20in%20just%20simple%20ways)%20so%20that%20when%20we%20come%20back,%20we%20come%20back%20strong.%20Until%20then,%20have%20some%20caffeine,%20dance%20around%20your%20house%20and%20play%20some%20good%20old-fashioned%20board%20games.%20){kind=link}