7 Ways To Stay Sane in Quarantine

We now have the time at home to pause and reevaluate our lives. We can rearrange our days to remain sane and maintain healthy lifestyles that we haven’t been able to prior to this time. Let’s reframe our perspective on the measures we take now for our jobs and the direction society and the world is going in these days.

These 7 ideas are ways to help you stay sane in quarantine:

1. Keep a structured day and regular routine.

   This can be done with focus and intentional planning. Time to take out your day planner or Google calendar app on your phone and set aside an hour to plot your week out. Do this once a week on a Saturday or Sunday and you will know what to expect and prepare for as the days approach. I have used a 15-minute incremental schedule in the past, and now I use a simple Moleskine-like journal with a weekly page for jotting down any basic items I need to attend to each day. You can also list your “To Do” items on the opposite page to keep a running list of what you absolutely need to accomplish during that week. And here’s a cool tip: create boxes to the left of your list items to “check” when finished, that way you aren’t crossing out words that you won’t be able to read later on. And it feels good to “check” the box.

   

2. Keep close to God.

   Always start your day (after you’ve visited the bathroom and are ready enough to) with quiet time in God’s word. I’m an avid journal keeper so I write my prayers to God. This helps me record my thoughts and feelings for clarity in expressing myself, and for reflecting on which ways God has answered my prayers and how I’ve grown or changed. After that I open my Bible to a passage in Scripture to read and draw out any truths that speak to my heart. I meditate on those and sometimes they turn into a blog post.
   

3. Keep interacting with others.

   If you live by yourself, it’s crucial you go out of your way to contact others. Use the tools you have – phone calls, emails, text messages – and even try taking a walk and saying hello to your neighbors. Start a conversation. Initiating while you may not feel like talking or interacting has its benefits. You may have to give that effort first, but when you start it gets easier and certainly helps stimulate areas of the brain that you wouldn’t use otherwise. And you are building and cultivating those relationships that are so important. There’s nothing like human contact. It’s good for the soul.
   

4. Keep looking up.

   Don’t dwell on the negative or what you can’t do right now. It’s a waste of energy, time and thinking. Instead, think on what would be possible now – if you’re working from home look on the bright side – you don’t have to fight traffic or commute. You can still be productive if you don’t have a job either. The possibilities of good work and potential of success can be found in this situation. I keep recalling the meme on social media about those famous people who found success in their own quarantined circumstances. It’s good for a change to be in this different environment. Who knows what you can do with the time if you simply apply yourself to be goal-oriented, and live out of ambition and possibility. Also, stay thankful. Listing or mentally notating what you’re grateful for and expressing this will promote happiness and joy. Your attitude is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it, as Charles Swindoll says.
   

5. Keep active.

   Do try to stay physically engaged. Sitting for long periods of time isn’t good, and now would be a great opportunity to challenge yourself to put that extra time you have into refining your body’s strength. Take walks, try running, bicycling, home gym classes, virtual yoga, dancing lessons from your home via computer. There are plenty of resources online for instructions and training plans. Google “Couch to 5k” or “Show Her Off” for couples dance routines. Use Youtube, Netflix, or Amazon Prime Video for exercise videos included in your subscriptions. Just set aside a certain time each and every day to do this. You will gain momentum as the habit begins to form.
   

6. Keep a healthy stock of food.

   What you bring home from the grocery store, you’ll likely eat. So when you food shop, make a list and make it healthy. Budget your money too. Good financial stewardship breeds good mental health. And when you eat healthy you also think healthy. Resist the temptation to buy junk food. Straight up candy and salty snacks are an added stress on your wallet and waistline. If you must go for processed food, consider healthier alternatives like veggie chips, energy bites, dark chocolate, nuts, dried fruit, chips and salsa, etc. Use Pinterest for preparing your meal plan too, searching for easy and healthy meal options.
   

7. Keep creating.

   Stay curious and think outside the box in these times. Videos of families singing together in isolation, neighborhood sing-alongs, birthday greeting drive-by’s have all gone viral. Can you think of ways you can solve a problem or entertain others in this environment? Brainstorm without reserve on paper or with family and friends the neat ideas you could think of to pass the time and make memories. Make something purposeful or cool to try. Experiment with social distancing in ways that others haven’t thought of. Stay safe and respectful of others, of course. Who knows what you’ll come up with and what changes you are able to create if you keep an open mind? Heck, start a blog or YouTube channel while you’re at it. You just might change the world.