5 min read

It goes without saying that right now is a strange & crazy time in history. (Are those even the best words to use??). And let me start off by saying, I hope you are doing okay. Both physically and mentally. This is a time that is really going to test our mental strength. So, how can we stay sane during these stay-at-home orders? I’m going to share with you the three things that have helped me most, for I hope they add a little bit of silver lining to this dark cloud..

Turn it Off

Turn off the news and get off social media. In a world of 24/7 news, it’s crazy just how much repetitive fear is spread. I know I personally can’t handle listening to the news 24/7. It's not good for my mental health. But I also don’t want to be ignorant and act like nothing is happening in the world, so I use a source I trust (not twitter), that’s non-partisan, to get the news. It’s called the Skimm, and every weekday morning, I get their email with the latest world events. I’ll read their email with my coffee and then I’m done with the news, for most of the day. Then, around 5pm, the Skimm releases their weekday podcast (Skimm This) which highlights the major events that took place that day (in under 15 minutes). And that’s my evening dose of news. 

*If you’re interested in the Skimm, you can sign-up HERE

Giving myself just those 2 opportunities to learn about the news allows me to separate myself from what’s happening, gives my mind a break & a chance to not freak out about the unknown, and is a nice way to start and end my “work day”. 

Treat Today as Any Other

What I mean by that is set up your day as if you’re still going to work. If you’re lucky enough to still have your form of employment, but are working from home, give yourself your lunch break. Sign on and off at your usual start and end times, still pack your lunch and go through your commute - just walk around your block for 10-15 minutes! Or try stretching, deep breathing, something that will “commute you mind” into the right head space for work!

If you find yourself out of work (like me), I truly am sorry. This is not something any of us wished upon anyone, but let’s still set up our day as if we were working! Wake up at your usual time, get ready for the day, “commute” i.e. take a walk, stretch, etc, and then fill your work day with a hobby of yours. Yes, that can be Netflix, (sometimes, we need to just “turn ourselves off”), but it could also be the book you’ve always wanted to read, the closet you always put off cleaning, or brainstorming what your next steps look like, once we move past this pandemic (and we WILL move past it!) Below I’ve listed some of the things I’ve been doing to fill my day:

• netflix - started new series, ended current ones

• Movie marathons - I just watched Harry Potter for the first time ever and I’m in love!

• organized and cleaned every drawer, closet, and room in my house

• cleaned the fridge and freezer

• cleaned my make-up brushes and hair brush

• cleaned and dusted my windows, blinds, ceilings, fans, and baseboards

• did laundry AND put it away immediately

• called/FaceTimed friends & family

• brainstormed goals and course of action for my business & life

• went for walks and runs

• worked out with water jugs and canned goods (ironically, I don’t own any dumbbells)

• planned my Pelotonia 2020 fundraisers

• brainstormed a podcast and book idea!

• baked

• worked on my continuing education credits

While the circumstances are less than ideal, we are presented with this opportunity of more time - something we all said we wished we had, at one point or another. We finally have more time, more time for our passion projects, our friends, our families, ourselves. We may never get this much “uninterrupted” time back again, so let’s use it to our advantage!

Move 

Movement is always important, but especially now. If you find yourself struggling with anxiety or depression, movement can help lessen the severity. Whether that’s a walk around your house or neighborhood, a workout with your favorite trainer that you can follow along with, or just dancing around your living (if you’ve never tried it, see for yourself - it’s an instant mood booster!), movement will get the blood and oxygen moving throughout your body, alleviating tension and stress, and improving your overall mood!

Turning it off, treating the day as if it was any other, and moving are the 3 things that have helped keep me sane during the pandemic. But, I would also like to make it clear that my mental health hasn’t been 100% the whole time, and that is OKAY! It is OKAY for your mental state to ebb and flow during this time. It’s okay to recognize it and sit with it. But once you’re ready to change your state of mind, try some of the practices I listed above! 

If you found this post helpful, please share and pass it on. If I missed a practice that you’ve found particularly helpful, please share by posting it in the comment box below!

Sending lots of love and healthy thoughts your way <3

Veronica

Photo by Hello I'm Nik 🎞 on Unsplash