Maybe you are like me, and this social distancing is driving you batty. You are busier than ever, wearing more hats than ever, and for more consecutive hours than ever. All while trying to balance working from home, learning from home, and maintaining the home, with everyone all under one roof every day, all day, and without the support of family, friends, and thelocal business and services we have grown to rely on.
This could definitely be too much pressure for one to endure for a week or even a day, but for 30 days or more, with no end in sight, life is getting harder. It is only natural that one’s sanity would be the first thing to go. Here are a few things that have helped me get through each day with some level of sanity and a glimpse of hope.
1. Making friends with my local liquor store (no judgment).
Hey, liquor stores were one of the first places to be deemed essential, so don’t look at me. Of course, within the early stages of quarantine, all of us parents rushed to stock up on our adult beverages (mommy drinks) of choice at our local liquor store. Our local proprietor understood the necessity of her inventory. She could commiserate as a fellow parent. From behind the counter and a safe 6 feet away, she offered sound advice about organic and natural wines, remote learning, helping the kids with homework, the importance of family routines, taking time for yourself. She also alerted us as soon as the grain alcohol arrived so we could make our own hand sanitizer when there was none to be had for miles. What a great friend to have in more ways than one.
2. Walking the dog.
I mean, we need to walk our own dogs during this time! Can you believe it? No dog walker, no dog runner, no doggie daycare, no babysitter who loves the dog almost more than the kids. Everyone is staying at home to stay well. What does that mean? That means we must walk our own high-energy pup 3 times a day (or more). Although this is often the bane of our existence, as we begrudgingly take the dog out for what seems like the tenth time in a day, and he rambunctiously drags us down the street like rag dolls.
It forces us to get outside, get some fresh air, get some space, and some literal breathing room. As dog owners, there is not one day, rain or shine, come hell or high water, that we can stay inside all day and that is a good thing for everyone. Believe it or not, this becomes a family bonding time where we share our thoughts of the day, our hopes, dreams, worries, jokes, impersonations, math problems, etc. Anything goes during the dog walk.
3. My puffer jacket.
Ok, I know I am late to the game, but I finally bought a puffer jacket this past winter, and it has definitely been a lifesaver in more ways than one. Let me clarify by saying that it is less of a jacket and more of a full-length coat that covers me from head to toe in cozy warmth (and polyester). During cold commutes to the city on winter mornings, I often reflected that it felt just like I was wearing my comforter into work and, thank goodness it did, because I don’t think I could have ventured outside on those days, otherwise.
Well April in NY has been pretty unpredictable, and there have been many cold days and even snow flurries during this springtime social distancing. So my puffer definitely comes in handy during the early morning dog walks. It also serves another purpose in completely camouflaging whatever madness I have going on underneath. It is like a fashionable armor. Underneath, no one knows I have on mismatched pajamas, yesterday’s sweats, my shirt on inside out, and my mom bun to top it all off. Now coupled with my daily mask, my puffer feels like an added layer of protection from whatever comes my way each day.
4. Essential oils.
Whenever we need to tighten the purse strings, I always think we can skip our regular order of essential oils. Turns out, that is always the furthest from the truth. They are, in fact, essential. We use essential oils at home for anything from soup to nuts: health, wellness, sleep, balance, pet care, skincare, laundry, house cleaning, the list is endless. And now more than ever, we rely on these essential oils to support our immune system, cleanse the household, bring calm and focus to the home, reduce stress, and remove germs and odors, etc.
Some of my favorites are frankincense, eucalyptus, thieves, peppermint, lavender, wintergreen, and copaiba, to name a few. Luckily, my order included the coveted hand sanitizer and arrived just as the shelter in place order went into effect. We can begin and end the day with a deep breath.
5. Shopping local shops and restaurants.
I don’t know about you, but we have not been one of the lucky ones to get one of the fleeting online grocery delivery time slots or an on-time order from Amazon. So we have had to venture out to the grocery store to get weekly essential groceries and household items. Luckily, my local grocery store has taken all of the necessary precautions early on with regulating entry, sanitizing carts, providing gloves, wipes and hand sanitizer, and providing masks for employees and shields for cashiers.
Some of the larger chains have been inconsistent and hit or miss with their precautionary measures. And sometimes, even the line is a bit overwhelming at our grocery store. So we look forward to our weekly local farmers’ market. The NY Times recently had an article about why farmers’ markets may be the best places to shop during these times. Many precautions have been put into place from scheduled appointments, pre-ordering, curbside pickup, social distance lines, prepackaged produce, and cashless checkout, to name a few. Furthermore, we are excited to still be able to get our favorite organic, locally grown, and sometimes gluten-free items that we are used to from steaks, veggies, ravioli, bread, and cheese, to pastries, coffee, chocolates, and kombucha.
Sadly, many of our favorite local restaurants and shops initially closed as they were considered non-essential. Thankfully, they have found a way to set up shop online or through social media and provide curbside pickup and delivery. So we can support our local small business owners and community, like the local toy store, consignment shop, florist, and apothecary, and still enjoy our favorite cuisines.
6. Letting go of a regular schedule.
I am not sure how many of you are like me and tried to maintain a regular schedule during the first few days of the quarantine. I thought we would all be ok if we stuck to our routines and woke up like it was a typical school/workday, showered, got dressed, walked the dog, ate breakfast, and got down to the routine. I would sit at my computer with my cup of coffee and answer morning emails, and my son would sit at his chrome book and do school work, according to his daily class schedule.
Welp, that was a short-lived pipe dream that was obliterated within the first few social distancing seconds. Try as I might, I had to accept that it was just not happening. I had to just let it go. We try our best to accomplish all we need to do in the day, including tons of schoolwork, endless emails, daily household chores, and dog walks. Despite, overwhelming exhaustion, I still try to wake up before all (in the hopes of getting a shower), go to bed after all for a few quiet moments to finish up the day’s work and to get a head start on tomorrow’s and try to keep my work hours from 9-5-ish, in the hopes of fitting in a family bonding activity.
7. FaceTime mom friends regularly.
Under normal circumstances, I am guilty of not taking the time to keep in touch with my friends or to plan girls’ nights out or bestie brunches. I barely have the time for a quick phone call during the 10-minute drive from the train station. However, during this time, the daily FaceTime call with a fellow mom friend has become essential. We usually chat about what’s for breakfast or dinner, commiserate over the amount of school work ahead of us for the day, keep each other posted on the daily COVID updates, and share the latest antics of our kids and pets.
The most important function of the daily FaceTime call is it forces me to smile, even if momentarily, and even if it is my only smile yet that day. That single smile quickly hides the unwashed face, dark circles, bed head, and extreme exhaustion and is hopefully contagious to the fellow mom on the other end of the line.
I can’t say I am successfully socially quarantining, but these are few tips that have helped me along the way. I hope you all are staying safe, healthy, and sane during this unprecedented and unpredictable time. It definitely can help to find some big or small joys to keep you sane along the way. I would love to hear what’s working for you. Stay well.
