It has been four days since the official quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak has started. I have discovered that being home so much has it’s advantages and disadvantages. Surprisingly, I have come up with some ways to beat the blues and maintain some sanity through it all. Hopefully one or all of these will benefit you as well.

Set A Schedule

Having a set routine has been shown to increase productivity. Kids are a great example of this as they are following set routines everyday in school. Getting a set schedule down as an outline to go by each day will give you focus and help keep distractions from pulling you into the abyss of apathy.

Since I’m home with two kids, ages 5 and 10, I have set up the following schedule that we are using to balance their school work, home chores, and my work as well.

• 8AM-9AM: wake up and have breakfast and coffee.

• 9AM-11AM: Help kids with their school assignments

• 11-1: Break for lunch and home chores/free time

• 1-2: Finish up any assignments the kids have

• 2-4: Mom’s time to get her work done while kids play

• 4-6: Get outside if weather permits or exercise/dance inside

• 6-8: Dinner and evening activities before bed

If things veer off schedule a bit, don’t get alarmed, just breathe and do your best to stay on track the next day.

Move That Body

So when they closed the gyms, I did get a little panicky, since I am someone who loves to workout and I rely on it to keep my mood stabilized and cope with stress.

However, I have found ways to continue getting my exercise in at home. I get out my yoga mat and dumbbells and I set a timer for 30 minutes. After putting on some music, I follow along to either online workouts or I just come up with my own moves that mix up cardio and weights. 

For the cardio, I like to incorporate jumping jacks, running in place with high knees, or simply dancing around with light weights in my hands. 

Resistance bands and wrist/ankle weights are also a great way to incorporate strength training. Swiss balls come in handy when doing abdominal work and can even simulate pilates moves when in plank position.

If the weather is nice, just going for a hike or walk around the neighborhood just before sunset can be a great way to get the blood pumping and keep your head cleared as well.

Binge Watch That Show

Thank goodness for binge watching in times like these. I have found that when I need an escape, curling up in my bed and turning on the fire stick can really make it all better. Lately, my favorite go-to shows have been:

• ‘Trust’-Hulu/FX

• ‘Cheers’-Netflix

• ‘Kids Say The Darnedest Things’-ABC

• ‘Dating Around’-Netflix

• ‘The Story of God With Morgan Freeman’-Netflix

Eat Healthy/Take Supplements

We can’t neglect our bodies need for proper nutrition. With immune boosting on the forefront of everyone’s mind, here’s a quick go to of some ways to keep your diet healthy and your body nourished.

Eat mostly veggies with meat dishes a couple of days a week, unless of course you are vegan. Eating mostly vegetarian helps you give your liver a rest because all protein must be processed in the liver. Your liver is like your car’s oil filter, so if it gets clogged, everything can get backed up. Even your hormones are recycled in the liver so if hormone balancing is at the top of your list, then definitely stick to a mostly vegetarian diet.

Take supplements to increase your immunity. My favorite immune boosting supplements at the moment are oregano oil, elderberry, vitamin C and D, and grapefruit seed extract. Taking a multivitamin and getting in healthy oils and fats is also very important at keeping your immune system healthy and your body in top shape.

FaceTime or Call A Friend 

Connection is important to humans. We all wanna feel connected and supported and loved. So maybe now is a great time to catch up with old friends or family members and see how things are going on their end. We all love to tell our stories and giving someone the opportunity to unload or sympathize is priceless in these strange times we are finding ourselves. Really ask questions and then sit back and just listen. This will have far reaching effects in your mindset and theirs as well.

“We are hardwired to connect with others. It’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.”

-Brene Brown

Make it a daily habit to reach out to someone and see how they are. Maybe FaceTime one or two and send a text to two or three.Especially those who live alone or the elderly.

Comment and engage on social media. As much as we like to complain about social media and its shortcomings, just imagine life right now without this technology or ability to see how others are coping. We are lucky to be able to just type a few words to let people know they are not alone. We are all in this together and knowing that someone is thinking about you or misses you helps ease the loneliness a little more.

So lets keep striving to do the best we can and remember the ultimate goal behind all this is to keep as many people alive as possible. Get organized, get moving, stay healthy, have fun, and stay connected!