Coronavirus Blues: What day is it anyway?

Time has stopped for us. We have one of those little desk calendars. You know, the one with numbers and the names of the month and days of the week on them. You rotate the block to indicate what day it is. I looked at ours and even though today is the 23rd, ours’ indicates it’s the 20th. Yes, it is Monday morning so we typically don’t keep up with it on weekends but I looked at it and thought, does it even matter?

We are stuck at home under a kind of quarantine/social distancing guideline and honestly, the days are starting to bleed together.

It’s been difficult. Our troops’ morale is not good. We are out of our routine, not sure when to go to bed, when to wake up and when to do school or work from home work. This is new for all of us and I know takes some getting used to. I don’t know how to handle this new normal. But I DO know how to make the best of it. And I know it’s not by ignoring the day of the week or month. These days would have passed with or without a virus or quarantine. There is a way to make the best of it.

GET UP!!! We need to wake up at our normal time. Sure, we may not leave the house today, but we need to get up. Get in the shower, brush our teeth and get dressed. We’ll feel SO MUCH BETTER!!

GIVE THANKS! It’s a proven fact, when we start focusing on our blessings, we start feeling more joy and more in control. It squashes the negative, there is no room. These are trying times for many. We need to look for ways to help those who don’t have it as great as us. Many are struggling for their health. Some, their life. And now and in the next few weeks, more than we know will be struggling financially. Believe me, there is ALWAYS someone who has it worse, unfortunately.

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. No, I don’t mean break the rules of “Social Distancing” but go to the park, walk around the block or play a game of 4 -square in the back yard with your kids. I thought about trying to play my old school favorite of Double Dutch, but the Urgent care has enough to deal with, they don’t need a middle aged woman with a broken leg.

TALK. We cannot ignore this. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it’s hard. But our kids have NO idea what’s going on (let’s face it, we barely know). All they know is what they see on Apple News on their phone. I don’t want my childrens’ view of what’s going on to come from some News Reporter. They need to hear it from me. And they need to know WE WILL BE OK. Humans are resilient. We are strong and we have come through much more difficult things.

PRAY. You may not be Christian, (but if you’d like to hear more about that, please comment below, we can connect, I would love to talk with you!) Whatever higher being you believe in, talk with them. Lay your cares at their feet. I feel so much Peace knowing God is in control–and He’s got this.

SCHEDULE. Keep some kind of schedule. No, it does not have to be strict (goodness knows I can barely keep myself on one, which is the entire reason for this blog–but that’s a story for another time!). Cas with the “Clutterbug” You tube Channel created some awesome printables to have a creative calendar/schedule for your kids.

Just a loose idea of what we will do today–love it, especially for a creative that doesn’t want to be told what to do!! My favorite is Bob Ross painting day–his tutorials are on Youtube! Also, our town has an historic self-guided walking tour of homes, going to see if I can upload the map. Maybe a cooking day? My son has been wanting to make these jelly filled German donuts. So yes, at some point, you might find me on the couch, binge-watching “Anne with an e” and stuffing my mouth with jelly filled delicious-ness. But don’t worry, I’ll pencil that in.

SOCIAL MEDIA. If something this terrible has to happen, there couldn’t be a better time for it. Social media keeps us connected all over the world. For once, social media is good!!! We can stay connected. Support our friends.

Reach out to those who are hurting. Scan your media and send a smile, wave or an encouraging word to someone who looks like they need it. Let’s keep it real. Right now, no one wants to see your perfect schedule, well balanced meals or perfect children (unless your plan is to help us perfect those things!)

Let’s build each other up. Our Town page is supporting misplaced local musicians by encouraging them to post a song for all to hear. One musician mentioned checking out our Facebook feed for musician/theater friends who could use a few dollars thrown their way. Maybe you could find a creative way to help out someone in the service area you miss. Your barista? Your Personal Trainer? Your Hairdresser?

GRACE. Most importantly, we need to give ourselves (and our family) some Grace. God is. Everyone handles stress differently. Everyone handles isolation differently. These times are unprecedented. Let’s be extra kind to the ones we are quarantined with. After all, they are the ones we love most.

How are you and your family handling this time? Do you have any tips or tricks for getting through it with a positive attitude? I would love to hear!