We’ve never imagined living in a time like this. I have asked myself if this is all a dream or even some kind of afterlife. Being at home with my family all under one roof, listening to my kids play in the backyard for hours, having time to eat dinner around the kitchen table, and not rushing anywhere is not that far from what my version of heaven might look like. I am a homebody who is lucky enough to have a life situation that allows my family to comfortably hunker down in our home during this pandemic.
I know it’s completely different for many of you whose job puts you at the front lines of this crisis. The medical professionals, store workers, truckers, educators, government officials, small business owners, and emergency personnel- YOU ARE OUR HEROES. I want to say how completely and utterly grateful we are for the sacrifices you are making during this unprecedented time. No words can adequately express how we appreciate you, love you, and hope and pray with every fiber in our beings that you can feel the love and gratitude we are sending you.
Now that we are two weeks into this social isolation, quarantining, physical distancing, or whatever you want to call it, I am realizing that even an introvert like me will struggle staying put for this many days. The anxiety, stress, and fear that comes from not knowing how long this will last and how bad things will get is scary. We read the news to stay informed but that has the ability to put us in a tailspin of fear. We have to set ourselves up for success by prioritizing mental health and figuring out how to stay in a healthy place.
I have identified five daily rituals that are key for keeping my mindset strong. These five things will make me a stronger person for myself and for my people.
- Get up an hour (or more) before my kids. I have always tried to follow this rule, but it’s never been more valuable than now. Those of you with older kids may not need this as much, but to me, if I don’t get up before my kids the day is neverending. Now that we are homeschooling, I am ON every minute of the day that my kids are up. If I am not helping with school, I’m wrangling a toddler. If I’m not wrangling a toddler, I’m cooking, cleaning, or getting ready for the next thing. My quiet morning hour is when I pray, study a bible verse, journal, and stop to give thanks. This is the only time of day where I have solitude and time for self-care. If I don’t get up early, I’m going to be missing 3 of my keys to having a strong mindset day.
- Meditate. This is the time where I can take all my anxiety, stress, and fear and manage it in a healthy way. Before anyone else is awake I take deep, slow, cleansing breaths for 5-8 minutes to calm my thoughts and clear my mind. It moves oxygen to my brain and helps slow my heart rate. I come back to this feeling during other parts of the day when I feel stress. Is meditation hard? Yes. The goal of meditation is to control your thoughts and today I couldn’t get them to slow down for anything. But, I tried and it still gave me a space to hold my feelings. If you are someone who struggles with anxious thoughts, give it a shot.
- Get ready for my day! I’m not talking anything crazy or time consuming here. Some days it’s a shower and other days it’s a combo of dry shampoo or a hat, mascara, and lip gloss. Put on your favorite (clean) t-shirt and leggings (or your version of comfy/cute) and make yourself feel cute. This is for YOU and the purpose of it is to feel good about who you are. We need to take these days one at a time and I promise this little act will go a long way!
- Drink water. During the first week of staying home, I found myself so busy that I wasn’t prioritzing this tiny self-care habit. I went to bed every night feeling yucky and woke up feeling worse. Just drink the water, guys. Take care of yourself FIRST and you will be better to everyone around you. No one wants to wake up in the morning when you feel like you’ve been dropped on a deserted island without access to clean water to drink, but that’s how I feel when I don’t drink enough water. It’s good for your skin (especially with all this obsessive hand washing), it will curb the desire for constant snacking, it eliminates toxins in your body, and it boosts your immune system! The only downside is you will use more toilet paper! I start every day with drinking 2 large glasses of water before I let myself enjoy my coffee.
- Go for walks outside, multiple times a day if you can. Get the exercise, get the vitamin D, get the fresh, euphoric feeling that spring is coming and this season won’t last forever. Just stay away from playgrounds and groups of people. Follow the rules, keep yourself and others safe, but get outside.
These are my BIG FIVE, but a few other keys to having a strong mindset that I try to stick to are keeping a schedule, don’t read the news after 8 pm, take good care of my skin, cook one thing healthy for myself each day, and try to fit in a good belly laugh (which usually comes from my sweet husband or adorable toddler). It’s amazing what a little bit of intentional self care can do for our health. We don’t know how long we are going to be in this situation, but I know that when it’s over, I am going to be thankful that I tried to show up as best as I could for my family. I know it’s not going to be perfect and there are days I’m going to lose it. I think it’s okay to show our kids that it’s normal to hurt and feel stress in difficult times. But, I hope that by taking care of myself first, most of their memories of this time will be that they felt safe, secure, and loved by a mom who showed up the best she could each day.
