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We are on our second week of having nowhere to go and having the whole family home. This position we are now in is definitely making daily living, housekeeping, fasting, eating healthy, and following an exercise plan a little harder.
First of all, as a mom, I have to clean, do laundry, pick up, make meals, and prepare snacks all day long. Then there is the stress of trying to keep everyone on a schedule and making sure everyone is getting along, etc.
Getting out to go for a walk is something that I have easily been able to do and enjoy very much. Plus I get to go with my husband and kids if I decide to. The other great thing about getting outdoors is it is a great stress reliever. Somehow the fresh air always brings a calming feeling.
As far as eating healthy, it has been a little more difficult. Simply being around food all the time requires me to really pay attention to what I may put into my mouth.
Plus, there is the boredom, stress, and uncertainty that we all feel from time to time that may lead to mindless eating or giving ourselves permission to eat what we otherwise might choose not to.
Usually, I can stay out of the kitchen all day. But, for the time being, it seems like I am in there 80% of the day preparing food, cleaning messes and washing dishes.
I thought I would offer a few tips to help you during this time. I have found that these really help me keep, at least somewhat, organized. And, if you have family members home with you, get them to help out. It can even become enjoyable!
Here is an example of changing things up and getting someone to help out so that things can run more smoothly…
I don’t ever eat breakfast. That falls within my daily fasting hours. I never even have to really think about it because the kids usually just eat breakfast at school.
So, Adriana, my 11-year-old daughter, who loves to prepare meals helps me out here. She has taken it on herself to prepare breakfast each morning and that means I keep busy cleaning up the kitchen mess and dishes.
She got a cookbook for Christmas and is having so much fun using it for recipes.
This little cookbook is easy for my daughters to follow and they just love it. You can get the Disney Princess CookBook here
We then all sit down together as the family eats and I enjoy black coffee. She loves this job and how much everyone enjoys her homemade breakfasts 🙂
I’ve also started making snack packs for the kids each day. They get these in the morning and then they decide when they eat their snacks. It helps by making them ration out what they have and not be in my cupboards all-day grazing. When their pack is empty – they are done snacking.
Daily Routine During Quarantine ~ for keeping the wellness of mind and body
- Begin each day as you always have – As you probably know, I begin each day with prayer. This is an essential part of my day and sets everything in order. I am amazed at the fruit and strength that comes from this time and I would never leave this daily habit behind. If you have always done this, continue. If you have never done this, start.
- Create a list – of the days most important tasks to be done. I do this in the morning and list out from most important to least. I then cross off as I complete them. It really keeps me on track.
- Make Your Bed – Sounds simple, but is really an important step for creating success in your life. This little habit tells you a lot about who you are. I tell my kids this all the time. It is such a great feeling to unmake a neat bed when it is time for you to sleep
- Dress For Your Day & Fix Your Hair – I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get dressed each day. I know it is easy to think we have nowhere to go so, why get dressed? Successful, healthy, and content people know that you need to prepare for your day. One of the fundamental things you must do is dress for your day. I believe you cannot feel motivated in your PJs with your hair a mess.
- Make A Schedule – and stick to it! I have 7 children home during this time and a schedule is necessary for my sanity. I created it, printed it and posted it on the wall. It is mainly to make sure that their school work is taken seriously and getting done. The family has really tried to follow it and it just makes my life simpler. I will make a change for next weeks schedule because I am finding that I allowed for too much free time in the morning. I will be adding a fitness block of time.
- Drink Water – Make sure you begin the day with a large glass of water. This helps to get your metabolism going and gets rid of the need to eat something immediately. Also, drink plenty of water during the day. If you add a little pink Himalayan salt to it it will keep hunger away.
- Meal Planning – Decide in the morning, or better yet the week or night before, what you will be eating that day. When you plan it out, it makes it a whole lot easier to follow through. This is where meal planning really becomes important.
- Plan Exercise – and STICK to it. Add it to your schedule for the day. Mornings always work best for me but, do what works for you. It will take several days to form a habit. But, once you do develop this habit it will become just part of your life. You only have to begin with a walk for 10 – 15 minutes and add from there.
This list is something that you can and should continue to do from here on out. But, maybe it will take on a different level of importance if just beginning during this time that is so ‘topsy turvy’.
Grocery shopping
For our weekly shopping trips (for food and necessities) we plan on going early in the morning one day of the week. It is only my husband and I that go and we, like everyone else, try to exercise distancing and good hygiene.
(Incidentally, my husband dislikes the phrase ‘social distancing’ – he says it doesn’t make sense and should be ‘physical distancing’).
It is a challenge to comply with the limits on certain items with a family our size, one loaf of bread, and one dozen eggs doesn’t go very far. But, we are adapting. I look for those items that can easily be put divided into the snack packs and for ingredients and supplies for big enough meals.
Last evening we sat down to a nice family meal. We had made homemade pizza and just enjoyed all of us squished together around the dinner table. We laughed and enjoyed the time together.
The planning I had done at the beginning of the week, helped make the dinner a success and we had all the ingredients. We had original homemade pizza and keto homemade pizza. – So good!
After Dinner
After dinner, we make sure the kitchen is cleaned up and then time is made for family prayer. It is not always as holy and pious as I would like, but we try to get it done every evening.
When you live with others, sometimes attitudes or moods make it difficult to want to gather. But no one is made to feel guilty for not participating. Prayer changes things, even if we aren’t willing to join in and even if we aren’t aware of it.
Everything is rosy…
No, it is not!
To be honest there is plenty of chaos. There are nine people living in one house. We are all having a lot of different emotions and experiencing all the changes in a different way.
There have been plenty of arguments, fistfights, pinching, and misbehavior. But, in amongst that, there have been moments of joy, peace, and pure blessing.
I do know that the ‘prayer time‘ we make a priority keeps bringing us back to the present and helps us recognize the real reason we are here. It is definitely the anchor that keeps the family grounded, committed and able to begin again each day.
No one really knows how long this ‘quarantine’ will last. And everyone’s life has been changed and is very different. If nothing else, I am hoping that this time sets us all on the right path.
Keeping a routine during quarantine will create a habit and help ensure wellness of body, soul, and mind for this time and beyond.
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