Five mood lifters to survive the quarantine. Stay on the positive side with these five mood lifting practices to put in place!
The understatement of the year right now is to say that times are really scary, trying, hard, and uncomfortable. It can be really, really easy to let the scary hard stuff bring you down and ruin your whole day. And that sucks. The good news is, while the world around us is outside of our control, we still have control over our actions and reactions. And that is what I wanted to talk about today.
Five Mood Lifters to Survive the Quarantine
What can we do when something makes us feel sad or lonely or left out or scared or unprepared during these times of quarantines and terrifying numbers and unknown futures? We can always choose to go into hiding, avoid reality altogether, trembling with fear in a dark hole we create for ourselves. And if that is how you cope with things, then by all means – feel free to go right ahead and do that.
However, not all of us are built the same way, and some of us need to be in the light to cope, or need help getting to the light when we have been in a dark place. So I just wanted to offer a few ideas to help you with that if you need it.
(I want to add in here – as a Christian, I am also relying on scripture and some quiet time every day as well in the mornings to help me focus on the positives of the day. But I wanted this to be information available to everyone, because I know that not everyone is a believer)
First of all get outside. There is absolutely nothing in all of the guidelines that currently exist that say you can’t be outside with your family. Continue to follow social distancing (a minimum of six feet between you and other people who don’t live with you) of course, but go for a walk, take the dog outside and throw the frisbee, go for a bike ride or a run, take a nature walk, do an outdoor scavenger hunt, etc. There is fresh air out here to be breathed in and there is sunshine to be basked in. Literal light is available if you’re feeling dark so don’t be afraid to go outside.
Count the tiniest of wins as major victories. Your kids spent five minutes together without arguing over something? YAS! You found a tiny container of hand sanitizer? HOLLA! You made the bed AND brushed your teeth this morning? OH YEAH. Everything feels so ominous and out of our control that it is easy to let those little things feel like little things that don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. But friend, they do. They absolutely do. They are tiny reminders of normalcy in this strange existence, a thread of shining evidence that the world will go back to what we were used to one day (and maybe, hopefully, an even better place!)
Get off of social media. Delete Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter from your phone, even if it is just for a few short hours (or several weeks – whatever works for you!). If you let it, it can be a constant barrage of sad news and scary numbers and political rhetoric that will make your head explode and leave your faith in humanity in absolute tatters. So if your heart and mind can’t handle it, remove it from the equation. There are other ways to keep up with people you love.
Like with FaceTime for instance. Consider the 1918 Spanish Influenza versus today: we are so so incredibly blessed with ways to stay in touch with family that don’t involve the Pony Express. In a split second, we can send and receive a text from a loved one, letting them know we are thinking of or checking on a neighbor to see if they need anything. We can physically see people half a world away through a 6″ tall rectangle we can hold in our hands. We have this ability to connect with our family and loved ones while we are cooped up in our homes in an amazing way, and there has not been a better time to utilize it! Jett has been FaceTiming with his friends from school and our church and has loved it so much! (Even his teacher has video chatted with him!)
Any time the opportunity presents itself, extend grace to your neighbors, friends, and fellow man. We are all living in our most stressed out, confused, and overwhelmed state. Not a lot of positivity and good can come from that if we aren’t being mindful of what we say and how we react to other people. So when a Karen comes after you in your neighborhood Facebook group, before you respond with a scathing comment, consider where she is coming from. She is probably just as scared as you are and letting her emotions and endorphins run the show. This is the perfect opportunity for you to be the first to extend grace and remind her and everyone else that none of us are truly our best selves, and maybe we all just need to take a step back before popping off and saying something we don’t really mean.
Don’t let the world turn the quarantine into a competitive sport for you. Some people need a schedule, some people need chaos to distract them. Some will have their kids clean and doing homework every day? Some will have a mudpit in the backyard and throw hot dogs outside for lunch. There is no right thing or correct way other than to stay in your lane and don’t judge others or let the opinions of other’s change your household. You do you boo. (As long as you’re following the federal guidelines that will keep us all safe.)
I’m sure I’ve missed some things that would be helpful – what would you add to this list? How have you kept your sanity and peace in tact so far? Share in the comments below!
If this was helpful for you, I would love it if you pinned it to your favorite Pinterest board or shared it on your Facebook page!
