Many things happened during quarantine — lost lives, lost livelihood, lost careers, and lost dreams. Some people have it worse than others, but we can all agree that everyone was affected by the pandemic one way or another.

I, for example, had changes in my daily routine because of the many months of quarantine. This may not be that bad of an effect during quarantine, but it did affect my life significantly.

My daily weekday routine starts with a 7AM alarm to prepare for work. I eat breakfast, take a shower, dress up, then leave the house at 8AM and take the Philippine National Railways (PNR) train filled with sweaty and agitated people to arrive at work before 9AM.

The last time I did this was way back in March before the quarantine started. I can still remember thinking that this quarantine may only take a couple of days or weeks, but as we all know it, it still has not ended until now. I left the office on the last working day before quarantine with optimism that we’ll be back soon.

My routine changed when we had to work from home. My usual 7AM alarm turned into an 8:50AM alarm every day to time in before our 9AM work hour starts. I sometimes start working even before I can have my cup of coffee. My breakfasts at 7AM turned into brunches at 10AM. Lunches that are supposed to be at 12NN is now at 2PM. Meryenda that is scheduled at 3PM is now at 5PM. Dinners are now at 10PM from 8PM. I am usually asleep at around 10PM to 12MN (how tita of me, I know) but now that my body clock is messed up, I sleep at 3AM or 4AM.

We have been working at home now for almost 8 months. I am lucky and thankful that the industry that I was in wasn’t affected that much, unlike many others.

The first few months was alright. I get to do things at home, no commute hassle, no need to dress up or wear make-up. But as time passed by, I started to get what they call “Cabin Fever”.

According to medicalnewstoday.com, Cabin Fever is defined as “a state of mind that can develop when a person is confined to their home and unable to have social interaction. It may involve feelings of restlessness, irritability, or loneliness,” and I started to experience those at around 5 months into quarantine.

READ MORE: Cabin Fever is Real!--Here's How To Cope-Up With It

I never knew how important routine was until mine was broken. It affected my body clock, and with all the extra time I had with nothing to do at home, I started getting lonely and anxious. It came to the point where I can’t even sleep at night because my mind kept running non-stop at 4AM. It was then that I decided that I need to do something about it.

So here’s how I adjusted: first, I had to accept the changes, both in my routine and our lives. It’s time to live in the “new normal” as they say it. Acceptance is always the first step in moving on. Second, I started adding things I enjoy into my daily routine. For example, I used to go to the gym 3 times a week, but since gyms are closed during quarantine, I took the workout at home courtesy of some Youtube fitness channels. Third, I eliminated certain triggers to my anxiety. Since we are all invested in social media especially now, I unfriended or muted people and/or topics and groups that I feel are not healthy for my state of mind. Don’t be afraid to remove people who are toxic to you; your mental health is more important to what they might say or think about you. Lastly, I just let myself breathe. Whenever I feel my anxiety kicking in, I either sleep or watch movies or Youtube videos that I enjoy. It somehow relieves me from what I may be overthinking at the moment.

Routines are important for most people because it’s one thing that keeps them going throughout the day. During these trying times, let’s remember to check on each other and also check on ourselves.  You can also ask your family and friends for a helping hand whenever you feel down. If you are experiencing any mental stress, it is best to seek out professional help.

Let’s continue to pray for everyone during this period and stay safe at all times.