Regardless of if you feel like you’re trying to survive one day at a time, or if you’re just looking for a way to make things feel more normal, here are five simple things to do to make your day go well while you’re stuck at home.
When you’ve got kids, being stuck at home is hard. Emotions run high, you can burn out easily, and it’s easy to let yourself hide in the bathroom and eat OREOs.
We’re over a month into being stuck at home (six weeks, actually) and we’ve definitely had our ups and downs. And regardless of if you’ve got young kids who need constant attention or older kids in school who are now going to school online, life is hard for everyone right now.
We’re still trying to solidify a daily schedule that works for us, but over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed a few things that really make a difference in how our day goes. These five simple things have a big impact on the overall mood of the day, and when we do them, I feel a lot more calm, in control, and like we’re actually accomplishing things each day.
Regardless of if you feel like you’re trying to survive one day at a time, or if you’re just looking for a way to make things feel more normal, here are five things to do to make your day go well while you’re stuck at home.
5 Simple Things to Do to Make Your Day Go Well
Get dressed
Even if you’re just switching from sleeping leggings to around-the-house leggings, get dressed. Put on something different that’s at least a little more put together. It can still be comfortable, but just get dressed. And make your kids all get dressed, too. The first two weeks of social distancing my kids wore their pajamas all day and it made life feel more chaotic and crazy.
Make beds
Make your bed and have your kids make their beds (or help them make it). Your house will feel more put together, and getting it done in the morning really helps your day get off on the right foot. Plus it won’t be an eyesore every time you walk past a bedroom! And who doesn’t love getting into a made bed every night?
Make a list of three things to do that day
I’ve tried doing longer lists, or just making lists for the week, but I get overwhelmed and burn out quickly and then nothing gets done, or everything gets done in one day and everyone’s grumpy. So pick three things that you either have to do that day, or that you just want to do, and write them down somewhere so you can see them and then cross them off when they’re done. You’ll have a loose plan for the day and you’ll feel accomplished at night when you know you got things done that day!
Go outside
Unless it’s raining or snowing or it’s freezing outside (it snowed in Minnesota last week!), get yourself outside! Go for a walk or a bike ride in the park or around your neighborhood. You can even just play in the backyard, draw on the driveway with chalk, or let your kids ride their bikes around in front of your house while you sit and do nothing. Going outside is a great way to break up the day and get some fresh air, and it has improved our days every time we’ve gone outside!
Have alone time or quiet time
This is important when life is normal, and it’s imperative when life is crazy, like right now! I love my kids and it’s nice to spend so much time with them right now, but if I don’t get a break in the middle of the day, I lose my mind. So let them watch TV for an hour, make them read books or play in their rooms, or take advantage of nap time if your kids still nap. Just make sure you are getting some time to yourself every single day. Waking up before your kids doesn’t count, and neither does time between their bedtime and yours.
I wish we knew when this was all going to end, but since there’s really no way to tell right now, we just have to make the best of it. This pandemic is crazy and social distancing is hard, but it won’t last forever and life will eventually go back to normal.
In the meantime, hopefully these five simple things to do to make your day go better will in fact, help make your days go better! Good luck, mamas!
Check out the other posts in my Stuck at Home series here:
- 36 Things to Do With Kids
- 35 Things to Cook With Kids
- Working From Home With Kids
- 10 Things to Watch With Kids
- 7 Ways to Stay Connected With Friends and Family
Teann says
Your sharing these supportive tips is like a ray of sunshine and hope during this “stuck at home” spring season.
Chelsea Johnson says
Good! That’s the whole goal!
Christine says
These are all so important in order to have a productive day. I always feel better about myself when I get dressed, make my bed and make a list of what needs to get done that day. Exercise is also so important to me, in order to have a good day.
Chelsea Johnson says
It does help a lot, right!? Sometimes the simple things make the biggest difference!