How Television Host Tommy Didario Is Adapting His Regimen To COVID-19

We spoke to Didario about how his formerly regimented lifestyle has been changed by the COVID-19 outbreak and how he's doing his part to slow its spread.

I was very regimented. I get up at 5:30 a.m. every day, and I do a 20-minute yoga session. Then I'd head to the gym for a workout and come back to have breakfast before getting to work. With my work, which is in the entertainment/lifestyle business, I never know what the day is going to look like, so getting my core "me" time in early on is key. And living in New York City, I crave my outdoor time, so I'd make a point to walk to any meetings that might be a 20-minute or less walk. I also enjoyed writing for fun or work—it was a creative outlet for me—and reading. Eating healthfully with a balanced diet was also important.

Something I was constantly working on was making sure I was present with people and situations. In my line of work it's very "go, go, go," and I'd catch myself focusing on what was next. That was a big goal I had set for 2020. 

I remember hearing about it in January, that there was a mysterious new virus circulating and that airports were just beginning to screen passengers, but I wasn't in panic mode yet. I remember wanting to know more, but I never thought it would lead to canceled trips or businesses closing. I guess I just assumed things would pass. Now it's like a 9-1-1 call, and everyone needs to take it seriously. It really upsets me now to see people not taking it seriously—we need all hands on deck now. 

Right now I'm really not leaving my apartment. If I get groceries, I get two weeks' worth at a time. Washing my hands, wiping things down often. That sort of thing.

At the beginning, I had this moment of "how am I going to do this?" but now I'm really not trying to focus on the downsides because if I do, I know I'd spiral into the negativity. Instead I'm trying to set up my days with structure and stay in touch with friends and family. We know that social media has negative effects, but right now I've seen a lot of the positive effects and how it helps people connect more, more than they usually would. In terms of my relationships, they haven't changed much except that I talk to people more and have more meaningful conversations with friends now. Everyone wants to get our minds off things and ask how we are genuinely doing. So having that deeper one-on-one connection has been really helpful. It's been great as a reminder of how to make the time.

I live in Manhattan and in an apartment, so I don't have the luxury of going into a backyard. The idea of not being able to go outside right now is tough, literally not being able to feel fresh air on my face is tough.

The last thing is to take advantage of all of the fitness apps out there: It can help you stay motivated as well as feeling part of a community.

I've realized I'm more adaptable than I ever thought I could be. I'm a "type A" personality, so I'm very scheduled and regimented, but I haven't let this shake me. I didn't panic. I kind of quickly formed a game plan for how to get through these next few weeks. I chose to be proactive, and while things are obviously not ideal, I learned that I had a strong sense that I'd get through. I made a conscious decision to suit this new reality, and I never considered myself the most flexible person before but realize I can be. 

We can wake up every day and choose to feel sorry for ourselves, or we can choose to better ourselves in a variety of ways. It's worth asking how you want to remember your time in self-isolation. You can say, "I woke up and was depressed, watched TV, etc." or that "when I was in isolation, I accomplished X, Y, Z; I did good work and turned a really hard situation into a positive."