10 Tips to Surviving Isolation & Staying Motivated From Karla Tolstoy, Founder of Stand Up Speak Up Apparel
Navigating through a pandemic is hard enough but having cancer on top of that is no laughing matter. However, Karla Tolstoy, Founder of Stand Up Speak Up can be found laughing with her family and her colleagues nearly every day through all of the madness.
Karla was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2018 and she has been living in isolation ever since. Living in isolation is nothing new for her but it did take some time to adjust to. Managing her emotions through this incredibly hard lifestyle change was not an easy feat as you can see from her Instagram video.
With COVID-19, we know things have changed drastically for everyone and we are all practicing the new norm of social distancing. Many of you have faced potential work changes. All the days have begun blending together and no one can tell the difference from knowing the weekend from a weekday. We think we could all use some positivity and pointers for making each day feel a little bit more exciting.
With or without cancer, being in isolation is hard. The key to not let it affect you is to stay as busy as you can. Karla says, “My cancer causes me to be extremely tired and I am in pain a lot of the time. With Stand Up Speak Up, I am able to distract myself from the pain.” We all have a lot going on with our bodies, mind, and even our finances.
Those who are less experienced with the Work From Home lifestyle may have visions of typing away in their PJs, doing what they want and leading a relaxed day-to-day. The reality of employment outside of the office is that you may actually be tuned-in and online more than your average in-office worker.
Here are Karla’s top 10 tips to survive Isolation and stay motivated while doing it:
Giving Back and Acts of Kindness. This is one tip that hits close to home. As our entire business is driven around acts of kindness, we pride ourselves on doing things for our community that will make a difference. Not only are you helping others, but it just feels good to give back. Feeling helpless? You can volunteer, buy a gift card to help a local business, order food from a local restaurant, the list goes on.
Focus on relationships. This is something that I had to really hone in on when I was diagnosed. My priorities changed and I needed to get my life in order. When you are in isolation, this is a prime opportunity to get to know yourself and create a stronger bond with those you love. I created a Circle of Strength - a group chat on WhatsApp of women who inspire me. Your relationships matter. Surround yourself with people who are authentic and will be open and honest about how they are feeling.
Become active. If I can do it with cancer running through my bones, so can you. There is nothing more important than getting moving - not only for your body but for your mind.
Get Creative. I recently bought some jeans jackets and got a glitter gun. It looks horrible but I tell everyone my friends 5 years old made it and they are impressed! Just have fun and try to find new ways to entertain yourself.
Be your own best advocate and take care of yourself. Want to take a nap? Do it! Want to binge-watch a show? Watch it! Don’t feel guilty and don't be hard on yourself, no matter your productivity level. You know what you need… do not let others bully you into doing what they think you need.
Set a weekly schedule. What are your goals for the week? Work on your resume? Tidy up your closet? Write it down and try to stick to it. Sticking to a plan will make you feel accomplished and productive. I write my weekly tasks every Sunday night on my whiteboard. My son checks in with me to see how tasks are doing and sometimes I am really productive and impress myself. Other weeks, I will have missed all my tasks on my list. Guess what? Tasks do change so try to just go with the flow when needed.
Get grounded! Practice changing your mindset- it is all about perspective. I am so good at flipping my mindset. Schedule in a proper amount of sleep, eat as healthy as you can, and try to cut the self-loathing. Learn to love and accept your inner-critic and observe when you feel down. Invite these thoughts and try to look at them objectively, vs. reacting to the angst they cause. Try to become just a little bit kinder to yourself. But for the days this tactic fails...Because it will. We, women, love nothing more than a little self-loathing. In those times have a drink, watch a Hallmark movie, or indulge in whatever your vice is, but only in moderation.
Find a mentor. What are mentors for? Helping push you forward. Finding a mentor is a great way to elevate your self-esteem and get inspired. My mentors have evolved during my cancer process. At first, it was my doctor mentoring me on staying alive. It then moved on to spiritual and emotional guidance and now my new phase is fitness. Who knows what I will need next. Think about what you need today to feel better tomorrow and go find that person.
Get dressed or Half dressed. One thing I really like to do is get dressed up and ready to go to the hospital. It is one of the only times I really get out so I like to look my best and I don’t like to let others know I am not feeling it either. I’m not saying do a full glam every day but at least change out of your PJs. It will make a difference and I’ve got proof to show it!
Create a dedicated workspace. This can be a challenge if you’re working out of a small apartment or a home that doesn’t have any space to spare. If this is the case, you can still create a dedicated workspace, even if it’s in a small corner of your bedroom. I have my room that I work out of that has my hospital bed, a whiteboard, and some of my favorite things. A dedicated workspace serves two main purposes:
It is outfitted with all the things you need. Never have to search high and low for your headphones, notebook, or pen again.
It’s your concentration space. We know, we know. There’s something dreamlike about the thought of working from your pillow-top mattress all day. Save your bed for iPad time. Create a place where you work. If you can, make sure this dedicated workspace is different from where you sleep, eat, or binge Netflix. This way, when you’re in your workspace, you know you’re there to work.
If you're struggling to be productive right now, you're not alone. Even with less than usual to do, it can feel tough to even get the bare minimum done. We're not advocating for doing absolutely anything, but do the best you can to get through this period of time, and don't be hard on yourself, no matter your productivity level. It’s important to not pressure yourself into being your ~best self~ right now. Plus, who the f*ck is our best self… it is all about perspective. Maybe your best self is merely surviving this insane time... Mine is.
Need a flip in perspective? Let us know by DMing us at @standupspeakupapparel! I can help. If by chance I can not find a solution I will do something nice for you… I love doing acts of kindness.