7 Ways to Stay Sane and Even Have Fun During the Coronavirus Pandemic

By Danielle Jenkins, PsyD 

You are probably overwhelmed with the amount of info coming your way in these wild times. As schools are closing and we are practicing social distancing, here are some ways to stay healthy and mentally well while things are shifting around you.

Stay Active

Staying active is one of the most important ways we can support our bodies and minds in times of stress, illness, and isolation. As we practice social distancing, we need to remain as active as possible. Going for walks and playing outside are great for keeping us feeling our best mentally and physically. Do a jumping jack challenge with your kiddos or challenge everyone in the house to see how many sit ups or push-ups you can do. Set up the living room as a gymnastics zone for a day or so and have a talent show to show off everyone’s routines (you have to practice to be good). Great way to fill time off from school and stay active.

Boost Your Immune System

As the possibility of illness swirls around us, we know that stress is not great for immunity. Managing stress is possible even when things are uncertain or upsetting. Meditation, yoga, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping), and mindfulness practices help immensely. Our minds are so powerful. We know this because of things like the placebo and nocebo effects. If we focus only on the (very real) difficulties around us, our minds will feel only the stress. We have to consciously choose to focus on calming and positives. Meditation focused on building immunity or reducing stress can absolutely help in situations like this.

Many of my favorite medical and wellness folks are posting ways to boost your immune system. Try out some new things if you feel like you could use a boost. My favorite resources are Dr. Maryska Taylor, Dr. Aviva Romm, Mommypotomus, and Root + Revel. My favorite immune boosters are Vitamin C, Elderberry, and dancing! Which brings me to my next recommendation.

Have a Dance Party

Music, especially when combined with movement, is something that helps with happiness and joy which are important in maintaining both mental and physical well-being. I personally love challenging my friends and their kids to dance offs. We send each other silly videos of our most wild dances and challenge them to top it. This can go back and forth for a while! I’m currently jamming out to 80s tunes.

Make a Pandemic Bucket List

Many of the parents I see have a lot of stress over keeping their kids busy over long summers. So I often recommend creating a “bucket list” together. Introduce it by saying, “We’re going to make a list of things to do while we are home and hopefully we can make a really good list. We may not be able to do absolutely everything but we might!” Then get creative. Make one for the family with things like:

• Cook a fancy meal together
• Pretend to be character’s from your favorite kids’ book
• Write and act out a play together
• Have a scavenger hunt
• Make a movie
• Clean out and organize the kids’ toys and bag up donation items
• Science experiments
• Watch old movie from when parents were children (Disney +!!!!)
• Have a movie night with popcorn made on the stove with real butter
• Go camping in the living room or backyard
• Make a summer bucket list
• Draw a treasure map
• Have a picnic in the living room
• Make up a new holiday and decorate the house
• Make a pile of books you have at home that no one has ever read, read them
• Research 3 things you’ve never studied before

Limit Media and Screen Time

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m psyched that Disney+ is releasing Frozen 2 early. Sunday can’t get here fast enough for my house! I also have a list of shows I’m prepared to binge-watch during all of this hubbub. However, we know that having too much screen time contributes to depression and anxiety for both children and adults. So being mindful of how much total screen time we are getting is important.

Turn off the news. Having the news running in the background is really stressful in times like this, especially for kids. Of course we need to be informed but we also need to limit the input. In times like this we also need to be sure to process any of the news with our children. They may be hearing things from peers, news, and us without our even realizing they are aware so it is important to explain to them on a level they can understand.

Be sure to limit social media also. It is common when we are forced to be inside or at home more that we are tempted to connect to others via social media. Do this, but be sure to watch what sources you are connecting with and how you feel when you are spending time on social media. Try to find a good balance for you and your family. And maybe mute the people who add stress to your life (at least for a bit).

And give yourself a break if the kids end up watching more TV or playing more games. Try to find a balance without being rigid.

Reading also helps with taking our eyes off screens. At my house, re-listening to Harry Potter (narrated by Jim Dale of course) is on the top of the list. Libraries also have great audio and ebook platforms and you can usually get signed up without even going in to the library (since many are closed now). I love audiobooks from the library. For kids I recommend the Julie Andrews’ children's books (she wrote them with her daughter) or many of the books on this great list from Audible. For adults, I highly recommend everything that Liane Moriarty has written and the steamy but also intellectual Wilderness series by Sara Donati.

Check on Your Neighbors and the People Who Are Most Vulnerable

It can be really easy to get tunnel vision when we are stressed and in novel stressful situations at that. It can be really easy to focus on being unable to find toilet paper and the person who cut us off in traffic or said something snarky on social media. However, it can feel really good to be a helper in situations of crisis and stress. So find someone you can help or bless. If you know a single mom who is struggling to find childcare but still needs to work, try to help if you can, even if it’s not with childcare. Call your older relatives. Offer what you can. Helping feels good, even if it’s just with a kind word.

Don’t Go It Alone

It is possible to support each other even while social distancing. We can use our technology to stay connected even while staying away from others. If you feel lonely, especially with schools and some work places being closed, reach out. I know there is someone you know who would love to hear from you.

Places you can get support within the Mama Thrive Village are the

• parent support group,
• March self-love, self-care gratitude challenge,
• Mama Thrive Village FB or IG pages.

Photo used with permission. Thank you to our sweet, anonymous writer.