I got the condo unit in 2014 as my first adulting investment and also ‘cos my Dad asked me, “When are you moving out?”. Welllllll! That certainly was a wake up call. I needed to grow up.

Background story: I was 29 and just came from a two-month long backpacking trip that wiped out my life savings. Yeah, not the smartest thing. Such a millennial. 

Well anyway fast forward to today, aside from struggling with day-to-day life—balancing bills, paying my home loan, getting my business off the ground with my partners, managing being a university lecturer, trying to meet deadlines, staying healthy, having a social life, getting enough sleep and drinking enough water—this happens. Pandemic. Chaos. Lockdown. Quarantine.

Needless to say, it’s been a rollercoaster and I hate rides.

In the grand scheme of things, having an 18 sqm studio is a blessing. Small, affordable, manageable. Anyway, I only stayed here to sleep anyway pre-COVID. I was mostly out during the day.

Now that I have to be inside 24/7. The walls are certainly closing in. Many realizations arise.

First, I only have one tiny window that can be opened. The rest are floor-to-ceiling glass taking up one whole wall. It gets super hot and I can’t have my AC on all day. My electricity bill would go through the roof. So, simmer. Amazing view though.

Second, there’s really nowhere to go. If I made a video tour, it would be over in two seconds. 

Third, if I wanted to hang out in the roof deck, eventually someone else would go up there. If there were two to three of us, fine, there’s a lot of space to go around. But if more people decided to get some air, then time for me to leave. Social distancing you know. 

Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful and blessed. So it’s all about changing perspective. 

To all 30-ish condo dwellers sharing the same boat, here’s my two cents on how to cope.

Tips to Avoid Cabin Fever in a Tiny Condo

So how do I make the most of it?

1. Have a designated work station/ desk for your Work From Home situation. Clear the table of everything non-work related. Yes, I’m talking about all that laundry that you haven’t cleared out.  Check out my digs.

Homebound: Condo Living in the Time of Quarantine

2. Clean and organize. Aside from yeah, you should be sanitizing your place all the time, a spic and span place is easier to live in. Vacuum, mop, dust, etc. I got this amazing 3D vacuum from Lazada’s 11/11 sale for only P1,500. (Nope, I was not marked safe that day).

3. Learn to cook. Minimize contact and the spread of the virus by staying inside. Stock up (DO NOT HOARD) on food and I mean real food like meat and vegetables and not instant noodles and canned goods. Check Yummly, Tasty, YouTube and all the other blogs to help you with recipes. If you don’t have a full kitchen or even a stove, don’t worry. You’ll be amazed with what you can do with a rice cooker. But that’s for another story.

Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stay Sane. See you! 

Check out other Homebound articles here.

Author

Copycarla is a freelance Copywriter, occasional Travel Writer, frustrated artist, and hopefully future author as soon as she stops slacking and starts writing her book. By day, she teaches college kids about advertising and creates design magic with her team at White Brick Creative Studio.

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