Taiwan has been in a Level 3 Lockdown since May 15th and the government plans to extend it at least through July 26. 

Main guidelines include: wearing a mask at all times outside of the house, indoor gatherings limited to 5 people and outdoor gatherings limited to 10, and carry-out or delivery-only for restaurants.

It’s pretty surreal to be experiencing the shut-down of all local activities again for the second time. In spring 2020, I was in NY when the US began to shut down but because Taiwan’s been handling the pandemic so well until this point, I never expected to experience it all again.

The upside to going through it again is that I already have routines established from the first go-around. This post will cover some of those daily moments as well as some scenes from a *more quiet* Taipei.

Everyday Quarantine Routine

7 am: wake up & morning routine

I’m training myself to wake up early. Grandma and dad tend to go to bed around 9 pm and so my personal schedule of sleeping at 12 am and waking up at 9 am has also been disrupted. At the moment, my goal is to get into the habit of waking up at 7 am, but on some days, it’s still a struggle.

Rather than doing my skincare in the morning, I dive straight into work.

Experts say that it’s important to establish a morning routine to set the tone for the day, but I’ve found that if I start things off at a slow pace, I just get tired and fall back to sleep. My concentration is best in the morning so I like to get the challenging, focus-intensive tasks out of the way first. 

9 am: hot cup of coffee for a small moment of joy

Emails, tasks, projects -- check, check, check. I’m lucky to work in digital marketing. Being fully remote allows me to set my own schedule and tackle projects in accordance to my energy levels.

11 am: skincare & mid-morning routine

Finally taking a break from work. My mid-morning routine helps me get physically grounded and gives my eyes a break. I make my bed and air out my room. The next step is to put contacts on and do my skincare routine. Nomel’s skincare products have been a favorite recently. Their products are very gentle and perfect for layering.

12 pm: lunch

It varies from day to day but it’s typically noodles or leftovers.

1 pm: back to work

I like to tackle mundane tasks after lunch. It gives me time to transition slowly back into work and allows me to move through the food coma. After working all afternoon with a few snack breaks in between, I take a walk or go for a bike ride.

3 pm: afternoon walk/bike ride

Here are a few shots from these simple afternoon excursions:

I always, always, always, take an afternoon walk (or bike ride). It gives me a break from work and signals to my brain that it’s time to slow down. The government recommends that we stay indoors, but I’ve found that going outside and breathing in the fresh air has been crucial for my wellbeing.

My state of mental health has been pretty shaky these past few weeks, but I’ve found that practicing deep rest and deep work, the art of being fully immersed in whatever you are doing, has helped me to focus on what really matters.

These light aerobic afternoon breaks allow me to deeply restore by absorbing the nature or cityscape around me. The help me set boundaries with social media and allow me to recognize that my time and attention are best spent in the present.

Aesthetically, Taipei is a pretty ordinary city. The buildings look run-down because of the constant rain and there always seems to be a sense of clutter because of how dense the population is. Regardless, I still think that there’s a charm to the grime that is uniquely Taipei.

5 pm: dinner

Typically a classic dinner with three side dishes and one soup.

6 pm: work (usually something creative)

I like to categorize my creative projects as “work” because I hope that one day they’ll be able to support me monetarily. Spending today with youtube edits, photo edits, and research. It’s fun but it’s also a lot to manage.

8 pm: yoga and/or workout

It’s time to unwind. I’ve been practicing yoga on and off for the past 10 years now and it’s been instrumental in reframing my mindset. It helps me slow down my thinking, gain better insight into my emotional state, and also helps me stay flexible in mind, body, and spirit.

Since lockdown, I’ve been making an effort to practice at least five times a week and I definitely feel stronger because of it. Yoga is an ancient art that has been appropriated by the west and I’m hoping that through active unlearning, I can one day, respectfully teach it again.

9 pm: shower or bath

10 pm: social media

I’ve been working on setting strict guidelines for social media. I’ve found that too much scrolling can actually drain me of creativity and so I’ve set a goal for only one hour of Instagram a day. Of course, there are times when I get sucked in for longer, but I think that for the most part, setting a cap on screen time allows you to move into consuming and engaging with the content a little more mindfully.

11 pm: read & bed

I recently took up reading again. I read a lot as a child but lost touch with that interest as time went on. It’s been a nice hobby to rediscover as an adult and I really enjoy that it offers either an escape or knowledge depending on the book that you choose. 

The key to a productive next day is in getting adequate sleep! That’s it. Good night.