My husband and I have been self-isolating since mid-March. At first, it was pretty cool. I got to stay at home with my husband all day! I didn’t have to battle the traffic to work! All I really want to do normally is stay at home, so it was perfect. It was perfect until it got boring, and it got boring somewhere near the end of March.

We have been going on walks, but it’s hard to even go around the block when you see groups of people clearly not social distancing. We’ve gone for a couple drives, but we feel almost guilty for being on the roads when we have no reason to be out.

My husband has been doing the grocery shopping. He’s gone twice since we decided not to leave the house. I am so frustrated by the precautions we feel we need to take. I send the grocery list on paper (organized by location in the store to ensure he gets done as fast as he can) and my husband takes a pen with him that he can easily dispose of. He leaves his phone in the car, so once he reaches the store he can’t ask any questions and I can’t add anything. After he finishes, we wash his clothes while he showers and I wipe down everything with Clorox wipes and bleach. Bleach. Something I have never cleaned with in my LIFE.

It’s so exhausting for both of us. I miss being able to go to the store; I love grocery shopping. Since I haven’t gone anywhere since March 21st I am more aware of how different everything is every time he leaves the house.

Just like everyone else, I miss normalcy. I know that we are both extremely lucky. My husband and I can work from home, and we have the space and the ability to buy enough groceries for a couple of weeks at a time. I am worried all the time about my grandmother and her sisters, my in-laws and my husbands family in India. We are concerned about friends and family that have been deemed essential and have to be out there at work everyday, potentially exposing themselves and their families.

I know I’m not alone. I’ve been trying to keep myself busy and away from the news (great use of my NYT subscription). I’m usually pretty pessimistic, but I have to stay positive right now or I will lose my mind. I’ve been meditating, reading, doing breathwork, using the treadmill, going for walks, yoga, cleaning, and washing my hands. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Who knew that self-isolating would be so…isolating?