Covid-19: 4 Great Tips to Help Pass the Time at Home

The past few months have been so difficult for all of us and we’ve all had to make some major adjustments to our lifestyles. I don’t know about you, but the days definitely feel a lot longer and I can’t wait for this nightmare to pass.  But until that happens, here are some tips that have been working for my family and I to help make this situation a little easier.

1. Get Help

I’m extremely lucky that my parents live nearby and they’re always willing and able to help with our kids. So we do ask for their help whenever we need it which truly is a lifesaver! If you happen to be in a similar situation and have family members that can help out, take advantage of it, it really helps alleviate stress and create a calmer environment at home.

We also decided to send our three older kids to school and daycare. I know that this doesn't work for everyone and you have to do what you're comfortable with. It is stressful sending our kids to school and daycare during these times, but considering we have a newborn at home and my husband is working from home, it was the most logical decision for us.

Lastly, we recently decided to hire a housekeeper again and it has been a complete game changer! Though it's costly to have one, it truly is the only way we'll be able to maintain our sanity. I have a very thorough cleaning schedule that I share in my Clear the Clutter Membership and our housekeeper follows that during the weekdays. On the weekends, I complete the tasks listed on my cleaning schedule. Having a thorough schedule ensures that every part of our home is regularly cleaned and keeps our home tidy and organized.

2. Create a Schedule

As an elementary school teacher, I know very well that my classroom wouldn’t function effectively if I didn’t have a schedule in place. In the same way, it’s so important to have one when working from home or if you have children at home participating in online learning. Having a daily schedule helps create some kind of structure for everyone in the family. Children thrive when there are routines in place and they need structure, so I highly recommend that you take the time to create a schedule, especially if you have children at home.

You can download the one I made for my 3 and 5-year-old when they weren't in school here. It has images because they can’t read. I also added clothes pegs with their names on it so that they can move it as they go through the day. This will help them stick to the schedule and also learn it.

3.  Be Productive

Some of us may have more work to do now that we’re working from home. But others may find that they have more time. If you find that you have more time on your hands, use it wisely. I’ve had moments where I was extremely productive and painted our condo, prepared our tax documents and did a bunch of baking and crafts with the kids. Then I’ve had other days where I just watched Netflix all day. I have to say that I felt horrible on the Netflix days and have now been more mindful of how I’m spending my time.

Make a list of everything you’ve wanted to get done around the house and start chipping away at it. You’ll feel a lot better than if you sit around watching tv all day. You can also try something new like cooking, baking, knitting or blogging. Personally, I’m using this time to snuggle with my newborn baby Lara and to work on Little Ladoo and Tiny and Tidy.

Perhaps you'd like to get your home more organized. In this video, I shared some great IKEA finds that might work well in your space:

Consider joining my Clear the Clutter Membership since you now have time to get organized. I'll guide you through the entire decluttering and organization process step-by-step and I'll also share the systems that I've implemented in my home to make everything easy to maintain.

4. Stay Active and Healthy

It’s so easy to sit around all day now that we have to stay in our homes. But make an effort to do some at-home workouts or yoga. There are lots of workout and yoga videos available on YouTube. My husband has an online membership to Beachbody on Demand and has always worked out at home. A lot of gyms are also offering free virtual classes. When the weather was better I tried to go for daily walks in our neighbourhood. But now that it's getting colder and I have a newborn, I need to figure out a different way to stay active.

There’s no better time than now to do some home cooking. Try some new recipes and be sure to include lots of veggies to help build your immune system.

I also find that meditation has helped me feel less stressed and anxious during this time, so you may want to consider practicing that. I use the Calm app to help guide my practice.

I really hope that these tips will help you get through this difficult time. Let's hope that things will return to normal soon!