COVID-Coping

The alarm clock goes off only a few days a week now.

Another day of avoiding everyone and everything.

Is it Day 30? Day 40? Longer?

Whatever day it is, waking up to an alarm is just rude at this point, right? If you’re anything like me, your sense of structure and routine was completely hijacked. Up is down. Down is now sideways.

I have to remind myself that this is not forever; this is just for now. But now can be pretty hard: Now is enough to break a person given the right conditions: a lack of security, a lack of answers, missing our homies, and missing a place when we can work out our frustrations.

For many of us, that place has been the Dirty Gym. We’d walk in and immediately be greeted by our inner warrior—you know, that fierce, unfailingly driven force that we use to slap PRs in the face. We’d hit a new PR, our fellow athletes and coaches would grin with pride, and we’d gain that momentum for the next lift—the next challenge.

Things are different now. Not forever; just for now.

A home gym just isn’t the same.

The weights are there (if you’re lucky), but the DG family isn’t—not in the way you’re used to. I get it. Reach out to your DG fam. Add them on Insta. They will remind you about your inner warrior when you can’t do it on your own. It’s what they’ve always done.

Set time aside for yourself every day. Every. Single. Day.

Make it the same time—5:30 pm, just like you used to. Even on weekends. Download the COVID workouts the DG fam put together for all of us HUSTLErs, powerlifters, and weightlifters. Show off your workouts on Insta. Use those ‘likes’ to motivate yourself and someone else. Make that a habit. Every. Single. Day. Before you know it, your routine will feel like you’re seeing an old friend again, and suddenly it won’t matter what quarantine day it is!

By: Fadi Tayim

Fadi Tayim is a member-athlete in the DG HUSTLE program.