Corona Cabin Fever Cures

Today is Day 12 of quarantine for the Nation family. Quarantine is a bit of an overstatement, since I've technically still been hitting up the local Kroger and Paul's Fruit Market when needed and getting out for my mandatory OB appointments. But besides those very quick and infrequent errands, we've stayed put in the house on full lockdown.

That is a lot of family togetherness and staring at the same walls for long periods of time.

So I'm slowly learning ways that help me to cope with the cabin fever and I thought I would share them here. Mainly because one of the ways I've learned to cope is to blog and write out all of my thoughts so that they aren't bouncing around in my brain like a ping pong ball.

1. Bubble bath & Buble - At least every other day, I'm allowing myself a 15-20 minute soak in a warm tub full of bubbles (not too hot b/c of the baby!). I turn on some Michael Buble Pandora radio and light a vanilla candle. I don't read or watch the tablet or do anything but chill and take in the relaxation. It's an incredible mood booster! Once Reagan gets here, these baths probably won't happen nearly as often so I'm taking advantage while I can.

2. All I do is clean, clean, clean, no matter what.  - When I have the energy, I try to use it cleaning the house. Something about having an empty laundry basket, made up beds, freshly Cloroxed surfaces, and vacuumed carpets works wonders for my anxious nerves.

3. News in small doses. - While I think it is extremely important to watch the news and stay up to date on what is going on, I quickly learned after the first day or two that leaving the news on the TV 24/7 was really not good for anyone in our house. I was super tense by the end of the day! So now I allow myself an hour of CBS morning news and then an hour of Governor Breshear's daily press conferences in the afternoon, and THAT IS IT. For the sake of my sanity!

4. There is no such thing as natural beauty. - Almost every day, I put on a little make up and fix my hair. Don't get me wrong - I am living in sweatpants and tshirts like it's my job. But I've learned that just the small act of fixing my face and hair a little each day makes me feel like a human. Especially after I caught a glimpse of my makeup-less and unkempt hair self in my selfie cam one day and frightened myself!

5. Sunshine and fresh air does a body good. - When it's nice outside, a quick stroll around the neighborhood with Lucy and Amelia is a much needed activity. We are careful to maintain our 6 foot distance from other people of course! I know how much better it makes me feel, but I can always instantly see both Amelia and Lucy perk up so much when we go outside.

So those are my top 5 ways to cure Corona cabin fever! On top of doing these things, I'm staying busy working from home, trying to do a little school with Amelia each day, and feeding 3 meals a day to the family which feels like an endless cycle of cook, clean, repeat. It will be interesting to see how our days look in a few weeks when Baby Reagan gets here! My guess is...fewer baths and a less clean house! Ha!