When you've got to stay put, get creative

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Published Date 3/25/2020

“Sheltering in place” isn’t exactly like being under house arrest, but it can pose its challenges. Suddenly having to fill hours spent at home takes a bit of creativity.

MontrosePress’ McKenzie Moore suggests that while it’s a perfect time to deep-clean your house, it’s a good idea to think of it as more than that. There are no downsides to it because you are using disinfectants that will protect everyone around you to boot. “It will not only give you something to do and help fight the virus, but improving your environment helps improve your overall health,” says Moore.

Picture all this happening before the advent of the internet, and you might just consider yourself lucky. You’d never be able to order takeout or buy something online — from food to games to cleaning products. And there is no shame in distracting yourself. “Watching a season of your favorite TV show, playing some video games or scrolling through social media to look at pictures of baby animals are all perfectly fine ways to get your mind off everything happening outside,”says Moore.

FaceTime or Skype your family members or friends, especially those you don’t hear from very often or those who would thrive from your attention. Have relatives overseas? Great time to see what’s happening where they live and reconnect, even making plans to see one another when all this is over.

Of course, you can do the un-fun (tedious) things just to get them over with — like filling out the 2020 Census, organizing your home office or getting things ready for your tax person or — heaven forfend — attempt to do your taxes yourself. At least you won’t go kicking yourself for having had time to do it, and you kept putting it off.

And how about those hobbies you used to have? “Dust off your old instrument, easel, sewing needles, or other hobbies. With work and family, lives can become too busy to focus on personal interests, but quarantine is the perfect time to turn the focus back into your passions,” says Moore. It’s also a great time to write down or record your experiences. “This is a very strange time in our history, and someday, either you or someone else will want to look back at how people are feeling and reacting to the situation,” says Moore.

Of course, there is yoga, reading, meditation, and music — especially when you feel like tuning out the news for a while. “Get a blast from the past,” says Moore. “Look through old photo albums or watch old home videos. One of the best ways to distract yourself from today’s worries is to revisit the good times from yesterday, and it will also help you feel reconnected with family and friends.”

Of course, there is also the great outdoors, as long as you keep your social distance — hiking, biking, rafting and even some no-contact outdoor sports such as golf can all have an enormous impact on mental state during this uncertain time. Just be sure to bring disinfectant wipes when using any public facilities.

If you have kids at home, apart from the game-playing, video games and homework help, you can talk to them about the past, at last teaching them something about their ancestry or what life was like for their grandparents. “Better yet, help them get that information straight from the source by facilitating conversations with older family members,” says Moore. “Those stories are one of the most valuable things you can give them.”

Sources: MontrosePress, TBWS

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