Crisis- Proof Your Life (Home and Family Too!)
We are living in strange times, friends. The world as we know it is in crisis mode as we experience cancelation after cancelation due to the COVID-19. Whether or not you’ve been directly affected by this virus, chances are you’ve already had to deal with negative side-effects and feelings caused by this pandemic.
I once read a quote that said, “The mother sets the tone for her home.” Like it or not, the eyes of our family members are on us as we navigate these uncharted (scary) waters. Below are ten simple ideas to help you crisis-proof your life, home, and family and keep spirits high during this time.
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10 Ideas to Crisis-Proof Your Life
- Tidy or Clean Your Spaces.
- Gather Basic Necessities (But Leave Some for Others).
- Create Simple, Go-To Meal Plans.
- Establish a Daily Routine for Learning for Your School-Aged Kids.
- Make Family Time a Priority.
- Fit in That Self Care.
- Fast Negativity- Especially Online.
- Find a Need and Fill It.
- Get Outdoors When You Can.
- Keep Calm and Carry On.
1. Tidy or Clean Your Spaces.
One of the best things to do when you’re preparing to hunker down in your home for an extended period of time is to tidy or clean it! Don’t feel like you have to do it all alone either; ask for your family members to chip in and help. Everyone can do something. Think of how much easier it will be to operate during this time if you’re living in a clean, tidy home! Need some motivation to clean? Check out my favorite book on the subject: The C.H.A.O.S. Cure.
2. Gather Basic Necessities (But Leave Some for Others).
I’m having a hard time understanding why people are hoarding toilet paper. All I know is that others (like our family) can’t get it right now because people are hoarding it. We ALL need necessities during this time. Things like toilet paper, paper towels, soap, cleaning products, and wipes. By all means, get what you need, but leave some for others. Even better, if you have two of any necessary products in your cart at the store, see if someone around you could use one. Let’s spread kindness instead of hysteria.
3. Create Simple, Go-To Meal Plans.
The key word here is Simple. When the world is experiencing a pandemic, the easier you can make your life, the better. Make a list of simple meals you can throw together that take few ingredients. Some of our family’s go-to meals are baked barbeque chicken with veggies on the side, crockpot lasagna, meatball stew, and black bean burgers. Each of these is easy to prepare and satisfying to our family.
4. Establish a Daily Routine for Learning for Your School-Aged Kids.
Many school districts around America have already announced closings due to the virus. I’m a teacher, and my district is closed to on campus learning for the next two weeks (at least). We will be moving our lessons online. The other side of this is that my son, who is in Kindergarten, will be completing his assignments at home as well. If you have school-aged children who will be learning at home for the foreseeable future, put together a routine for them to follow on weekdays. It is all too easy for students to get behind when their teacher is not right in front of them, but if they have a routine, they have a better chance of keeping up with their studies.
5. Make Family Time a Priority.
One major benefit of staying home during this time? More time with our families. You know we all can use more of that in our lives! The important thing here is to get quality time over quantity. Maybe you have a mountain of laundry to catch up on, but make sure you build in fun activities that encourage bonding among all family members while you’re going about your day. If you make family time a priority, chances are, you and your kids will make memories that will long outlast this virus going around.
6. Fit in That Self Care.
Is there any better time than now to take care of yourself? I can’t think of one. I’ve had several movies that I’ve been wanting to watch for months now. Since I’ll be spending more time at home, I’m going to watch them. What are your top three self-care go-to tasks? Build them into your daily routine, and practice them! Seriously, take care of yourself- TODAY!
7. Fast Negativity- Especially Online.
Newsflash: You do NOT have to engage in all of the negativity happening on social media right now. We know it’s there. But that doesn’t automatically mean we need to participate in it. Also, it may be a good idea to limit your time spent watching the news. I give myself a 5-10 minute limit of watching the news in the morning. Any more time than that and I start getting depressed. I’m not trying to live in a bubble, but if social media and television is going to rob me of my joy, I don’t need it. Neither do you.
8. Find a Need and Fill It.
There are needs all around us at any given time. But in a time of crisis, you can especially find someone with a need that you can fill. Get your kids involved! Teach them the joy of giving to others. If you don’t know where to look, start with your own neighborhood or community. Talk to your neighbors and find out if they need anything you can provide. Then go do it. Finding a need and filling it is a surefire way to bring feelings of joy and goodwill in troubled times.
9. Get Outdoors When You Can.
In talking with one of my nurse friends, she made the comment that viruses thrive in tight, closed up places, but begin to weaken outdoors. It stands to reason then that it’s good to be outside when you can. Kiddos love playing in the fresh air as well. Plus, being outside allows you to drink in the beauty that surrounds you as springtime begins to show off.
10. Keep Calm and Carry On.
I love this catchphrase that was coined during World War II. I’ve found myself saying it often this week and even writing it in bold lettering at the top of my weekly planner page.
Remember at the beginning of this post the quote, “the mother sets the tone”? Think about the tone you want to set in your home. Do you want to encourage panic among your family members? Or do you want to promote a calm, peaceful spirit in your home? The choice is yours. If you’re not quite feeling calm, have you tried some of the other ideas above? Last but not least, you can always “fake it til you make it”. In other words, act like you’re calm, and sooner or later, you’ll start feeling calm.
Bonus Idea: Figure Out Finances
I wanted to include one last tip that I thought of as I was writing this post: get crystal-clear on where you currently are financially. If you haven’t balanced a checkbook in a while, at the very least, jump online and see what’s in your bank account currently. What’s in your savings account? If you make a monthly budget, do you need to make some adjustments as you think about buying necessary supplies and covering unexpected expenses? It also doesn’t hurt to have some cash on hand. You just never know when you might need it.
Weather the Storm
We’ve come through calamity before, and we will get through the COVID-19. One day at a time, we will weather this storm and come out stronger on the other side. I hope this post has encouraged you that you can crisis-proof your life and home, and your family can become stronger and resilient in the midst of hardship.
Did I miss something that should be on this list? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!
