Anyone else having a hard time keeping track of the days of the week? Staying home has a strange way of making every day seem like Saturday. There was a time, not so long ago, when that would have been a welcome relief to most of us. One more example of what we think would be a dream come true, turns out to be just the opposite.
With the news constantly changing, it’s not easy to stay calm. Being quarantined in your house is enough to drive anyone crazy, but being cut off from friends and family takes it to another level.
We’ve come up with a list of 10 Ways to Remain Calm + Create Peace In Your Home. Let’s jump right in (these are in no particular order).
- Clean – No one will ever accuse me of being OCD or a clean freak, but I do try to keep things picked up around the house. Having a clean, uncluttered space reduces stress. There has to be data to support that somewhere!
- Puzzles – This activity can be enjoyed by the whole household – regardless of age. When your mind is racing in a thousand different directions, there’s something calming about a puzzle. And seeing the finished product is always fun!
- Background music – No matter the genre, we can all agree that music is therapeutic. Piano or classical goes well in the background while you’re working a puzzle. Or, crank up your favorite playlist while you clean or work on projects around the house. It definitely puts me in a better mood.
- Lower the lights – Once upon a time, I taught in a classroom with children who had special needs. We kept our classroom lights dimmed and it made a huge difference in behaviors and the overall anxiety level in the class. The same is true for everyone – give it a try!
- Read – There’s no such thing as being quarantined when you open a book. Diving in allows you to escape your reality and be part of another world for a while. Don’t we all need that right now?!
- Exercise – This one’s a no brainer. Whether it’s yoga, jogging or walking on the treadmill, moving lowers stress. It’s that simple. I might need an accountability partner!
- Listen to positive/encouraging podcasts – I’ve never listened to a podcast! Everyone I know listens and loves them. Being quarantined at home is the perfect time for me to start. With everything we’re hearing in the news, filling our minds with positive and encouraging words is exactly what we need.
- Color/paint – Coloring is SO relaxing. You can buy adult coloring books with the most beautiful pictures. My son loves to paint. He says, “it keeps him focused and centered.”
- Stay connected – This is of upmost importance. Whether it’s a group text, ZOOM meeting, FaceTime or Facebook/Instagram chat, we need to stay connected with those we love.
- Limited NEWS – There’s a lot of uncertainty in our world. While it’s important to stay informed, it is equally important to limit how much we listen to the news. A good thing to do is listen to the first ten or twenty minutes of the briefings and then turn if off. After watching a telecast from a city, state, or national leader, it’s not necessary to listen to broadcasters tell us, over and over, what we heard for ourselves.
Staying calm in turbulent times is quite a challenge. We hope these suggestions help in some small way. Hopefully, if we all heed directions from the CDC, HHS and all the other organizations working so hard to “win this war,” our lives can get back to normal (whatever that means) sooner rather than later!
Have kids at home? Check out our Guide to Virtual Learning here.