Seriously Girl is not all about Covid-19, and we will talk about other things. I promise. But we are stuck at home, and the days are growing longer, and we’re getting antsy. Are you wondering how you’ll survive the quarantine? Here are some thoughts:
- Get up to a clean house. Involve the whole family at the end of every day to get the public areas picked up and the kitchen sparkling. It’s downright demoralizing to get up to a kitchen full of dirty dishes and sets the tone for the day on a negative note.
- Start each day with prayer – for the world at large, for your world, and for you. From the many to the few, all are impacted in one way or another. I think “discombobulated” should be the word of the year because it so eloquently describes how we feel. Combat discombulation daily with prayer and time in the Word.
- Have a daily meeting with yourself to plan out your day. Don’t add to your stress by planning down to the minute (or even the hour), but you can feel more in control of your day by just having some general structure and goals. Remember to include something fun in every day.
- Do something new. My daughter, who has the greenest thumb in the family, is teaching herself to make macramé pot hangers. It’s something she’s wanted to do for a while, and she’s decided to make it her “stay-at-home” goal now that Indiana has issued an order for the entire state. (I really should learn how to use my Cricut. I bought it in 2014.)
- Get outside. One of our neighbors reported today that her teenage grandsons had gone out to climb trees and hang out in the yard ALL ON THEIR OWN. Apparently they got sick of video games after 10 days of non-stop playing and finally decided they had to get out. I know — unbelievable. But she says it’s true. Fresh air is good for everybody.
- Phone a friend or family member and check in. It helps with those feelings of isolation to catch up on the news and share stories.
- Enjoy daily alone time. Being together 24/7 can be wearing, even in the best of relationships. Have everybody scatter for an hour alone. The introverts in your family will thank you.
- Bake bread from scratch. Go to Pinterest or YouTube and find a recipe that looks good and give it a try. There is something therapeutic about kneading bread, so do it by hand, not in the stand mixture. Loaf bread, cinnamon rolls, croissants…the options are endless. And nothing beats the smell of fresh bread in the oven.
- Clean out a drawer or a closet. Keep the bar low (don’t attack the whole house at once) and celebrate the baby steps. There is a sense of accomplishment just in organizing — even one drawer at a time. Spread it out and enjoy the fruit of your labor.
- Create a social distancing playlist. From my friend J: Can’t Touch This, Don’t Stand So Close to Me, All By Myself, I Am a Rock – I Am An Island, It’s the End of the World As I Know It, Islands In the Stream, There’s No Place Like Home, Alone Again Naturally, End of the World As We Now Know It. Add your own favorite quarantine tune!
Love ya,
Gigi
A happy heart is like good medicine. But a broken spirit drains your strength.—Proverbs 17:22 (ICB)