The Upsides of Quarantine

I’ve been in quarantine for almost two months and while it was tedious the first few weeks, it’s not all bad.

With Ontario’s state of emergency extended until June 2, it looks like we’re in this for a much longer haul.

I’ve settled into a nice quarantine routine now and there are lots of positives to being in quarantine.

That’s apart from the obvious one – I’m healthy and safe. And I’m helping people at risk stay healthy and safe by keeping away from them.

6 Positive Things About Quarantine

1. Saving Money

My bank account is super happy. I was not much of a spender before but every time I left the house, I spent money in one form or the other.

Since I’m no longer leaving the house, my budget has gone down over 50%.

The only thing I spend money on now is rent, groceries, occasional take-out, phone bills, and a few random items online here and there.

Not having to renew my monthly bus pass has also been a huge money saver.

Do you track your spending? Carry out a comparison between before and during the quarantine.

This quarantine period has actually given me some great money-saving ideas for when things go back to “normalish”.

2. Health and Fitness

I worked out regularly before quarantine began but I missed it sometimes because I was running behind on time.

I have now embraced home workouts fully and have a dedicated 30 to 45 minute workout program every morning.

Many people use YouTube videos but I prefer a focused and regimen-driven workout.

I use Jillian Michaels Fitness App and Beachbody videos. I love both. I’m currently on Body Revolution.

Working out also means I’m keeping my immune system in optimal shape to help me fight any infection that invades my body.

3. Projects

Fewer distractions mean I’ve been able to focus on a lot of pending projects and get them moving.

I’m very excited about where I am so far and I’m grateful that I haven’t been affected too much financially by this situation.

If you’ve been laid off or now under-earn, check out if you qualify for Canada Emergency Response Benefit HERE. 

Apart from work projects, I’ve also completed a lot of pending home projects like decluttering and rearranging stuff.

I haven’t settled down 100% in Canada so a lot of my stuff is still in moving boxes.

4. Education

I’ve signed up for a lot of courses and training seminars within my field (operations) as well as other fields that interest me.

With loads of time on my hand, I carve out a few hours every week to learn something new.

5. Good News for the Planet

Quarantine has done a lot of good for our planet. Pollution has reduced significantly.

Sealife can move around freely, the canals in Venice are clearing up and in Sardinia, dolphins are swimming freely in the bay.

6. Corporate Epiphany

Yes, there are a lot of corporate epiphanies going on. The quarantine has effectively debunked the notion that it’s impossible to work from home.

Corporations are notorious for refusing to let employees work from home.

It’s one of the reasons I became self-employed. I simply could not sit in a claustrophobic cubicle for 10 hours every day anymore.

Quarantine has now proven you don’t need to be in a cubicle to get your work done. All you need is a laptop, reliable wifi, and Skype or Zoom for communication.

Twitter CEO recently announced employees can work from home forever. Good time to be a Twitter employee, eh?

Despite the positives for me above, there are still days I feel like I want to go out and do something fun.

However, I breathe in and out and let the moment pass. Quarantine is for the greater good.

You can keep up to date on the fight against COVID19 in Canada on the government website HERE.

Stay safe!

Abi has lived and worked abroad for over 13 years. She loves traveling, reading, and writing. She is a big believer in following your dreams and has been marching to the beat of her unconventional drums for a long time. She funds her adventures by making smart financial decisions and investing wisely. Her top personal finance tools include trading with Questrade, investing change on MOKA, and no-fee banking with Tangerine and Neo Financial. Learn more about Abi HERE.