The 3 things I did to save my sanity during quarantine... Plus a bonus kid hack
"I am going out. I am not sure when I'll be back. Please take care of the kids."
I had hit a brick wall and it wasn't pretty.
Taking care of 3 sick people (one of them being my husband), figuring out how to give classes online to our dancers, and not sleeping well had pushed me to the edge. There were tears every day, and moments where I wasn't sure how we were going to get through with our mental health in tact.
So I drove away from my house not sure of where I was going, but knowing that I HAD to be alone.
In the next six hours, I napped, prayed and figured out how I wanted things to run and here were the top 4 things that changed the way I operated in this weird new world.
1. Get enough sleep - Anyone else absolutely exhausted by staying home? Or maybe your toddler is waking up with the sun, like mine? After two weeks of running on fumes, I set a 9:30pm bedtime for myself, stick to it as best I can and it has made ALL the difference. Seriously.
2. Schedule alone time - I know this feels impossible; it did to me anyway. But slowly I am figuring out ways to get out of the house and still be safe. Some mornings after "school", I take a bike ride while my husband lets the kids climb on him while he works. My friend, who is a single mom, takes time out by calling to check in on people or getting the mail for a friend who can't get it herself.
3. Move every day - If you don't know the science on dancing and exercising, here's the basic facts: In the short term and long term, it increases your over all state of mental, emotional and physical health. I knew if we could keep offering dance classes, Thrive dancers and I would both come out better for it. Besides lots of dancing, I walk with my neighbor or bike by myself and I always feel better afterward.
This last one is kind of genius...
4. Get everyone designated cups - I bought my 3 kids these cups and then hid all the rest of the kid cups so they couldn't use any thing else. This serves multiple functions: I do less dishes and we spread less germs. Also, they have learned to wash their cups and keep track of them... well not so much the toddler, but still #momforthewin
What I've leaned is that by doing these things, I have been a better mom, wife, business owner and human being because I took care of myself. Your mental health is important now, more than ever!
What have been your secrets for staying sane? Post in the comments and let me know so we can get a little community encouragement going!
Stay safe and healthy,
Christine