How to keep your sanity while stuck at home

There are times when being outside is not an option. You might be stuck at home for long periods of time. So what can you do to keep your sanity while stuck at home?

1. Keep your routines

During times of drastic change, maintaining your routine or as close to your routine as possible will help you keep your sanity, especially if you have kids. A sense of normality is important during such a time where there’s a lot of uncertainty and change.

In the news, we find that there is something new every day in regards to the COVID-19 so keeping some things normal and constant will help with the anxiety.

2. Have a schedule in place for the day

Having a schedule of your day maintains order. When you’re stuck at home things can get chaotic as the days pass. Also, if you have kids, a schedule allows them to know what is coming and what to expect each day.

For some of you working from home having a schedule in place helps you get organized and complete tasks.

A schedule of the day can contain things that are usually routine and you can add some spontaneity in each day, but knowing ahead of time helps everyone at home.

Click here for a simple print out schedule template!

3. Stimulate the mind

Do something that stimulates the mind. Staying at home and watching Netflix all day dulls the mind and makes you feel restless. When I was on medical leave from work, I couldn’t leave the house. I sat at home and binge-watched Friends, The Office, How I Met Your Mother and Game of Thrones. Those are only the TV series… I’m not even going to mention how many movies I watched. That is a lot of hours sitting on my butt watching TV. I felt restless.

During the time you have at home, do things that exercise your mind:

• Sudoku
• Crosswords
• Jigsaw puzzles, try a 5000 piece or even a 10,000 piece puzzle
• Read a book, try reading a series: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones if you’re not into that stuff, try self-improvement books, crime thrillers. I’ve been reading some classics, Gone with the Wind, Wuthering Heights, and Moby Dick.
• Listen to a Podcast, there are so many podcasts out there that challenge the mind, so much you can learn from other experts willing to share their knowledge for free!
• Learn a language – there’s a free app called Duolingo. So many languages to choose from! I’m learning french and german!
• Games! You might not think so but there are games out there that stimulate your mind and pushes you to think outside the box! A suggestion of mine would be Codenames
• Connect with others – just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t connect with others. Technology has come a long way. Zoom meetings, Skype calls, and social media such as Instagram and Facebook allow us to connect with others even when we physically can’t be with them.

4. Move your body

When you’re stuck at home, your body is definitely bound to get restless. It is easy to be sitting all the time. Move your body every day. This is so important for many reasons: long-term health, chronic pain, diabetes, and heart disease, just to list a few.

There are a lot of free and paid resources online for those who want to workout at home. Some of my favorites are:

• Sweat by Kayla Itsines – great for the beginner and the experienced, I’ve personally used her BBG program.
• Dana Landgren – Dana’s workouts are truly at home workouts and are ones I’ve been doing lately to get back into shape since giving birth to my daughter. I have also bought her pelvic floor program. I highly recommended for all women. Dana sells a workout program but also has exercises available for free on her Instagram.
• Sarah Beth Yoga – she has a YouTube channel with yoga stretches and exercises. I personally used her videos for prenatal yoga, which I loved!

Whatever your level of fitness, it doesn’t matter. Move your body and as Dana says, “one round is better than none”. If you’re a beginner check out my post on “Beginners Guide to Mom Fitness“

5. Meditate

Take the time for mediation. Being stuck at home can cause anxiety and stress. Times of meditation is needed.

Do it in the morning to kick start your day. Be mindful of what is to happen, what you have planned and things you need to get done. If it suits you better, meditate in the evening at the end of your day to decompress from the busy-ness of the day.

I personally like to meditate in the evening but sometimes I change it up in the morning. Spiritual wellness is so important and as crucial as physical and mental wellness.

It’s hard to say what meditation should look like as it can be different for everyone. For myself, it is a time of prayer and devotions through Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost for His Highest“. A time to spend with God and write down my thoughts.

Having times of meditation also allows me to have an attitude of gratitude through whatever is happening in my life. Giving thanks and appreciating my family, my health, my ability to work from home, and everything else.

I hope you find these 5 tips on how to keep your sanity while stuck at home, helpful! These tips are also helpful when you’re feeling in a rut. Remember to maintain your routines, make a schedule, exercise your mind as well as your body and take some time to meditate.

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