I started my minimalist journey during the pandemic. It was my 2021 new year's resolution. So I've only experienced minimalism in a world where the coronavirus has existed. I don't know if that's made it easier or harder to be a minimalist, but here is my personal experience with minimalism during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Minimalist socializing
- Minimalist germ control at home
- Minimalist personal protective equipment
- Minimalist food and travel
1. Minimalist socializing
I'm a low-key germaphobe, something that started long before this plague hit us. But I don't mind because it's served me well so far, despite this virus becoming more and more contagious and more people around us getting sick for the first (or second) time. My partner goes along with whatever I recommend, both to keep my anxiety to a minimum and also because they don't want to get sick.
We are vaccinated and boosted, and although there is no mask mandate in place where we live, we still continue to wear masks in public, even outdoors if we're in crowds. We practice social isolation (meaning, we have not attended or hosted any social gatherings). We don't even take our masks off when we see family or friends, which is only ever done outside.
Even before the pandemic I would prefer taking a walk in the forest, crafting, watching a movie at home, or reading a book over things like concerts, parties, or anywhere there are large crowds. My partner is good with a TV and their phone to play games on.
Having done this for over 2 years now, it really isn't a bother and is just something that's part of our lives. We can do this indefinitely and it wouldn't really inconvenience us in any way. I guess if you're a really social or extroverted person, then maybe the social isolation is challenging to you. But for 2 introverted homebodies, it's just fine. =)
2. Minimalist germ control at home
In general, I consider our apartment to be the "clean" zone and anything past our threshold is the "contaminated" zone. That means anything that comes through our door is either removed upon entering and set in an area by the door where it won't spread any contamination (shoes, backpacks, reusable grocery bags) or sanitized/washed before being used (containers holding food, face masks, unpackaged produce, clothes).
My routine after I've returned home and closed the door behind me is:
- Take off my mask and outside shoes
- Sanitize my phone and and put away anything I've brought home with me
- Take off outside clothes (before sitting on any soft surfaces like bed or sofa) and change into inside clothes
- Wash hands and face, maybe take a shower depending on circumstances
If you're like me and have a lot of anxiety about the pandemic, I find that sticking to this routine helps calm me and make me feel like I at least have some control over what's happening.
3. Minimalist personal protective equipment
As I've mentioned before, I love to sew and took it upon myself to make fabric masks for myself and others out of old pillowcases and sheets. We have plenty to last us until each laundry day.
Disclaimer: This next part is my personal opinion based on some research I've done. I'm not a healthcare provider or an expert on infectious disease, so please don't treat this information as if I am!
I know there's a recommendation to use those paper N95 and KN95 masks, but I see people wearing those all the time and they don't fit properly on their faces.
These masks were meant for healthcare and if you are told you need to wear them in a healthcare setting, someone who knows what they're doing fits the proper size to your face and shows you how to make sure you're wearing it correctly. If there are any gaps between the edge of the mask and your face, then it's ineffective.
So, we use fabric masks, with at least 2-3 layers of fabric, and stay at least 6 feet from people, especially if they're unmasked or we're indoors. It isn't a perfect solution, but it feels more minimalist to us than buying and throwing away disposable masks. It saves us so much money on paper masks as well!
We also keep hand sanitizer in our car. It's an old travel-size bottle that we refill from a larger container at home. It stays in the glove box and it's routine that anytime we get in the car, we use the sanitizer before we drive away.
We choose not to wear disposable gloves for the same reason we don't use paper masks. Too much expense and waste, and I'm not really sure it's worth it outside of a healthcare setting.
4. Minimalist food and travel
We do occasionally get takeout and even more rarely, we eat at a restaurant if there's outside seating and it isn't crowded. It saves us so much money to cook at home! Even with 2 of us, eating whole-foods, plant-based costs only $30-50 per week in groceries. Actually less because that bill includes things like toilet paper and cleaning supplies.
As for travel, we just haven't done it, other than that one trip while the house was up for sale. I hadn't taken a vacation for 5 years before that and probably about the same for my partner. I don't feel comfortable going on planes, trains, or cruises right now, so if we do any more trips it will be in our car.
We're going through a heat wave right now in our area, and I'm getting pretty worn out by the high temperatures. We might do a little getaway; if so, I can talk more about minimalist travel.
Well, that covers the basics. I'm sure everyone already knows most of this stuff, but I thought, why not do this now, when these new mutations are putting us even more at risk? Stay safe and healthy, everyone!