Pandemic Diaries: How I’m staying sane

Whoa. March, you were a doozy. And April, you seem to be no better. I think we can all agree that the year 2020 has been a little off her rocker. #amiright

If you are from the future and you’ve stumbled upon this tiny and obscure little corner of the world wide web, and you have no idea what I’m talking about then let me enlighten you. Our state, country, and WORLD is going through a pandemic and we’ve all been quarantining in our homes for weeks now.

Admittedly, when the shelter in place order was first issued I thought ‘well, this is kinda fun and cool that we all get to stay home together for a while.’ But the novelty of it wore off after about two weeks and then I entered the ‘fuuuuuuuuuck’ stage of quarantine. And now I’m currently in the ‘I’m finding a routine and *most* days are good’ stage of quarantine.

But there are certainly some days where I feel suffocated by the not knowing and not seeing an end in sight. I feel despair and weepy and I feel a sense of loss of the normalcy that I took for granted. And those feelings are usually accompanied by feeling guilty for even feeling this way when I know so many others are is worse situations. And that’s not all– there’s also frustration with my kids, sad because I miss family and friends, desperate for a date night, and exhaustion from trying to keep up with it all.

I could go on and on but I’m guessing I’m not the only one reeling from all this. I’m sure that you all are experiencing many of the same things to varying degrees. And I wish that I could cross those 6 feet of social distancing and give you a hug. I know I could use one! But for now, I’ll share what’s been working for me.

These are the things I try to incorporate into my daily or weekly routine to make me feel good and give me a sense of purpose and normalcy.

• Workout. This is my number one for a reason– it is the first thing I do in the morning and it’s always made me feel good but it is even more of a heeling balm during this time. You don’t need a home gym or gym membership to get a good workout in. You don’t even need to pay for an app. There are plenty of free videos on YouTube, there are so many workouts on Pinterest, and many fitness experts on Instagram share their workouts.
• Grace. When I feel guilty for not doing more with my kids and they’ve had too much screen time, or I don’t feel like cooking for the 743rd time that day, or when I’ve yelled at my kids while my husband was on a work conference call… I try to remember to give myself grace. Actually, I’m really bad at giving myself grace. It’s always my husband who reminds me that I’m not a bad mom/wife/person, and that I need to go easy on myself. And he’s right. These are not normal times and our reactions are not going to be normal.
• Music. Play some music while you’re cleaning or typing that email or while you’re cooking that 743rd meal. Music has always been therapeutic for me and especially now more than ever. Some of my favs during quarantine are “I Want to Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston, “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips, and “I’m Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves. (Apparently 90s music makes me happy.) I also recommend dance parties in your kitchen.
• Get outside. Take a walk or play in your backyard. Just get some fresh air. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes. I know it’s not easy; I live in the midwest and we got SNOW today. But even if you can sit by an open window, I swear it makes you feel better.
• Get dressed/put your makeup on. Yes, I’m fully aware there is no reason to get dressed or wear makeup, but I’m not talking about wearing a ball gown either. Trust me, my jeans have seen limited daylight and I’ve worn leggings in various shades of black, but I try not to stay in jammies all day. If it doesn’t bother you then keep doing you, boo. But for me, I feel better about myself when I’ve showered, gotten dress, and put a little makeup on.
• Do something productive. Or don’t. This one is tricky because I’ve had days so far where I’ve done nothing but move from room to room and it’s nice (and sometimes necessary) to give yourself a break. But I also feel good when I’ve accomplished something. Now, don’t go writing a thesis on user interface modernization (I totally looked that up haha!). But maybe tackle your junk drawer or do a single load of laundry.

I’m sure some of these may seem obvious, but putting them into practice isn’t always easy. These are just the things that help me feel better, but maybe for you it’s something different. Whatever you do, I hope that it makes you feel better during this time of uncertainty.

XO,

L