Staying Sane During Quarantine

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For many of us, our lives have changed significantly in the passed week or two as we try our best to follow the regulations of social distancing. Our normal routines of going to class, work, out with friends, and other activities have been exchanged for long hours indoors, and for some of us, it’s become difficult to keep our head on straight.

There are a lot of suggestions and helpful hints out there to stay productive and take as much advantage of this time as possible. While I think that’s great, I also think it’s important to realize that it’s ok to just rest right now too.

You don’t need to have perfect daily routine

You don’t need to feel bad if you aren’t checking things off a to do list

You don’t need to feel like you have to conquer the world right now.

Our time is what we make of it. I believe in stewarding our time to the best of our ability, and being intentional with our actions. Sometimes, the best way to steward our time is to be active, learn, do projects, and create. However, sometimes it’s in stillness, rest, meditation, and appreciation of our daily life without the distraction of schedules and deadlines. What is God calling you to in this season? How can you use this sudden shift in your everyday life to your advantage?

For me, I get restless without some sort of structure in my day, and have used this time to do things I usually put aside, like read books or organize certain parts of my house. Here are some ways you might like to use this time, if you also prefer some structure:

Keep a Morning Routine/Ritual.

One thing helping me to stay focused through all this is creating a regular routine, even if just for the morning. It gets me out of bed and creates something small to look forward to, which gives purpose to rest of the day. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely sleep in a little extra, but when I know I have a set routine waiting for me, it helps me not let the whole day slip by.

In the morning I:

• Shower/wash my face
• Chug some water
• Read my bible, and watch my church’s daily devotional
• EAT- pregnancy has made me hungry first thing in the morning. I usually grab something to eat while I do my morning devotional
• Tidy up- I won’t necessarily deep clean first thing in the morning, but it’s something I can do that’s lightly active

Focus on a Project, Task, Hobby or Goal

Take advantage of extra time at home! Maybe this is your moment to deep clean an area of the house, organize your art supplies closet, wardrobe, or whatever daunting area of your house needs attention. If you’ve been putting off learning a new skill– writing, learning an instrument, learning a language, or any other skill, why not use this time to give it a try? I would recommend making a schedule, or at least setting aside a certain hour of the day where you can focus on that skill. It will be so rewarding to see your progress grow quickly.

I have taken this time to:

• Learn a new song the piano and do some song writing
• Organize the nursery for the baby coming in just a few weeks!
• Bake, and make more meals from scratch
• Watch, read, and listen to different historical movies, books, and podcasts

Connect Where You Can

No, we cannot see people face to face the way we want to right now, however, that does mean we need to cut of socializing all together. It is the perfect time to be creative in how you connect with other people.

Why not try:

• Sending a letter to someone in the mail. I’m sending out cards to my grandma, church friends, and apartment neighbors!
• Facetime/video chats. Phone calls are great, but seeing someone’s actual face hits different, ya know?
• Intentionally texting. In everyday life, we usually end up texting the same people, maybe with just a comment or question here and there. Even this past week, I have been on the receiving end of some “hey, how are you doing?” texts from some people I do not interact with on a daily basis. It’s been awesome! Now is a perfect time to be intentional about our interactions, even from a distance.

It’s Your Time- Make What You Will Of It

For me, I want to be productive and make as good a use of my time as possible. Staying busy help me stay sane. Perhaps, this is your time to really rest; to take a pause from life and just be. That’s ok too! It’s not every day we can have so much flexibility in our days. Some of us haven’t had to set an alarm in weeks. While I wouldn’t suggest drowning in Netflix shows all day (although you better believe I’m catching up on my favorites) it is ok to let the days be what they are–– free of deadlines, rigidness, and clocks.

Learn a language, read a whole shelf of books, start a business, write a novel. You have the time. Or rest. Let the clock tick and don’t pay any attention. Sleep in. Be with your family. Spend time with Jesus. You have the time.

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