Quarantine has thrown us all for a loop. Schedules are gone, routines demolished. But there ARE things you can do to stay sane. Here are my top 5 tips.

1. Morning Prayer – You can pray all through the day about everything. And praying before bed is great, too. However, I find that morning prayer, ie being intentional about putting God first, helps center you and puts you in the right mindset at the beginning of the day. Before you check email. Before you go to work. Before the kids are up and asking for cereal. Prioritizing prayer helps you start your day in peace so you won’t end in pieces. I use the Laudate app to read daily readings and reflections. I then write 5 things I’m grateful for, like, the baby took a great nap, or I didn’t lose my mind today! I then write 10 affirmations. Examples include: “I’m a patient, loving mother”, or “I’m excellent at social distancing.” You know, whatever! Shortly after I’m done writing, the door handle of my closet starts to slowly turn and 1-2 children enter in & our day begins.

2. Daily Exercise – Go for a family walk. Do some squats in the yard while the kids play. And if you don’t know what to do, go to YouTube! There are a milllllion resources at your fingertips. Do a Zumba video – it’s ok if you don’t have rhythm. Do a Pilates video – it’s ok if you don’t have the cutest workout clothes. The best (and defining) part about quarantine is that you’re in the privacy of your own home! Ain’t nobody looking at you! Except for your kids and trust me, they don’t care about your dancing ability or your visible panty line – they only care about where their next snack is coming from. Exercise is critical at a time like this for your physical and mental state. So it doesn’t matter what you choose to do - all that matters is that you get moving! Like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde said – “Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t go around killing their husbands.” Or kids. You feel??

3. Have something to look forward to – There are no events coming up. School is closed, trips are cancelled. There is absolutely nothing on your calendar. But let’s be real, if you’re also a stay at home mom of 3 young kids, there is hardly ever anything on your calendar. Ha! Even still, you need little things throughout your day to keep you going. What is something small you can look forward to? Coffee in the morning? Those 2-4 (or more) Dove Dark Chocolate and Almond squares? A mini bottle of Chandon in the late afternoon? Ok, so these are all food and drink, but these things consumed in moderation can offer even the smallest bright spot in your day.

4. Make time for girlfriends – Human connection is so necessary right now. Even if you’re more of an introvert and actually somewhat enjoy this isolation, your female friendships are so important and cannot be forgotten. Husbands are great, but they do not complete you. Even if Jerry Maguire said so. There’s a part of your spirit that can only be refreshed by time with friends. So if a moms night is out of the question right now, what CAN you do? Well in the vein of Olivia Newton John’s Let Get Physical, I say, “Let’s get virtual, virtual! I wanna get virtual. Let’s get into virtual. Let me hear your mouth talk. Your mouth talk.” Ok ok, that sounds gross and now I’m dead. (Laughter is also a way to stay sane) Anyways, you get the point - Zoom is in! Group FaceTime is a thing! Log on and laugh on! Now, there is one in-person option and it’s a little thing I call porch wine. Uh, what is porch wine, you ask?? It’s exactly what it sounds like. You drink wine with a friend on a porch. You bring your own wine, your own glass, and of course responsibly sit 6 feet away. The only tricky part is when you have to use the restroom. If you’re having #porchwine with your neighbor, then you can easily retreat to your own restroom and come back out. If you drive to see a friend, you will probably have to go in her yard. Or in a diaper. But you know you have plenty of those in your car, so this is actually a non-issue. And remember – just like when they say don’t talk about your kids on date night, don’t “meet” up with your gfs and talk about coronavirus! Fun and hilarious topics only.

5. Make time to be alone - Sometimes you can be alone while you exercise or when you pray in your tiny closet in the morning, but this is different. This is you driving through Starbucks, alone, so you can get out of the house. This is you ordering several pairs of shoes over the course of three days just so you can go to Target & pick them up. This is you vacating to your room the minute the kids go down and only watching what you want to watch. This is you asking your husband if he’ll bathe the kids and clean the kitchen tonight because you are just DONE. This is you asking for help. This is you prioritizing self. This is you filling your own cup so you can continue to literally fill everyone else’s. With milk. Chocolate or otherwise. It is a pandemic, after all.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How to you tackle a pandemic? One day at a time. We cannot get caught in how long this might last. We must just focus on the current task at hand, which is serving our families and staying sane while we do it. There was a Best Lent Ever reflection the other day about Mother Teresa and how there is power in just loving who and what is before you right now. Love your families well, and let God take care of the rest. You can do this! I’m praying for us all.

What are some other things you’re doing to stay sane??