Things to Do While in Quarantine to Stay Sane!

Turn your quarantine mindset around today! 

Here are some awesome things to do while in quarantine – designed especially for those quarantining alone (and those who wish they were alone!) Find some great things to do that will help you along your path, regardless of where that path is leading. 

Especially For Over 50 and Solos

We are all doing quarantine in our own way. 

Families are doing family, and couples are doing, well… coupling.

If you’re single (or just wish you were) and are past the “kids stage” of life, and you’re wondering what to do while in quarantine, you’re in the right place. 

How long have you wished you had the time to:

• Learn something completely new
• Get to know yourself better
• Start that online business or lose 20 pounds

Wish no more! Poof! We’ve got nothing but time.

Start your transition from pandemic prisoner to master of your universe right now.

This is your chance to revel in the most magnificent luxury you’ll ever have. Time.

If you’re over 50 and resetting life or just getting your feet back on the ground when the pandemic hit, great! 

“Time, time, time is on (your) side, yes it is.” Sorry, Mick.

There’s never going to be a better opportunity to spread your wings. 

Whether it’s learning Italian, kicking off a new side hustle, trying on alcohol-free living for style, or adopting a pet, there’s only one way to do it. And that’s to just jump in, and well, do it. 

First, An Important Message About Quarantine

This part has to be said. 

We are in wildly uncertain and scary times. 

Financial concerns, fears of contracting COVID 19, and the loss of the support system we usually depend upon are all very real and debilitating. 

We are all experiencing more isolation than usual. 

Your top priority is to keep yourself safe!

That means watching for changes in your sleep, health, or eating patterns. 

This is NOT a time to indulge in more food or alcohol than you usually would.

This IS a time to reach out by phone or video chat with your family and friends daily. (They are feeling it too.) Don’t be afraid to FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or use whatever platform is your jam. 

If you are feeling sick, overwhelmed, or have difficulty coping, reach out for help.

You are not alone!

For immediate help, call 911 or check out these resources from the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

The Silver Lining of Quarantine

Assuming you are managing the stress and anxiety as well as can be expected, let’s focus on some things you can do to stay healthy, sane, and super productive and how to make the most of this mess. 

The silver lining (and I know I’m reaching here) is this:

Even though this pandemic has pretty much stripped us of choice and freedom, there is a counterbalance. We are all having a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with ourselves. We realize daily the many things that really just don’t matter. 

And we have the space to determine the stuff that does. 

We see TV commentators and hosts, actors, entertainers, and other public figures in their most stripped-down, unplugged version. And I, for one, like it. 

And I like being unplugged myself. 

We can’t be tone-deaf to the pain, divisiveness, and struggle around us. 

It’s unparalleled and horrible. 

But we are talking “silver lining” here, and that is the shiny new version of each of us that’s bound to emerge. Commit to making that version more genuine, more fulfilled, and more you.

9 Super Sanity Savers for Sailing Through Quarantine – Things to do while in quarantine to reset and regroup.

Here are some quick tips to keep on feeling brand new right through the lockdown before we dig into the big stuff, your passion projects.

• Make your weekends stay weekends. 

If you’re committed to writing your version of the great American novel or starting a new business, great. But take weekends off. The quickest way to burn out (and lose your sh*t) is from monotony. We require a break, a regular reboot. Break the “groundhog day” syndrome by creating variation in your week.

Make Saturday and Sunday (or any other pair of days that work for you) be that respite. Make Friday night special with take out. Keep Sunday sacred, whether it’s making time for yoga or meditation or an actual service (on TV or online, of course.) 

• Declutter your space every day.

There’s no need to take on your closets, drawers, and garage “Marie Kondo style,” unless you want to. But leave your “space,” whether it is a workspace, or a reading spot, or wherever you spend your time, totally clean and welcoming to you for the morning. Clean off your desk, put away the dishes, hang your clothes. Get rid of yesterday’s” leftovers” so you can start the day with a clean slate.  

Mojo Tip: Bonus Round – If you’re anything like me, you have thousands of emails and files on your laptop.  Delete 500 per day.

• Declutter your mind every day. 

Peace of mind is a precious commodity. The quickest way there is to clear the noise in your head. My superpower is meditation. If the chattering starts up in the middle of the night, I jump onto the Calm app and listen to a quick mediation. Try it. 

And for a more profound meditation, check out Deepak and Oprah. They offer lots of free sessions. 

Keep paper and pen by the bed, and if a thought is troubling you, jot it down and forget it.

Go easy on the cable news. It’s way too troubling. Opt for music. Classical music works great. 

• Rituals Rock! 

Try to start and/or end your day with a ritual. It’s not hard to find options to make your time sacred and special. There’s nothing wrong with adding the comfort of a bit of structure to your life while still embracing your new freedom. 

Buy a cheap handheld frother and indulge yourself with freshly brewed coffee topped with warm and creamy foamed half and half. Light a flameless candle, take a few minutes to meditate, or just sit in stillness before letting the world in. Register for a meditation app or buy a journal and a great pen and let it flow. 

Set a beautiful table one night a week and make dinner the experience it should be, replete with music, lighting, and flowers. No TV tables, no standing, and no crappy dishes. Use the good stuff. Take your time. Relax after dinner before you jump into the cleanup. Got somewhere to go?

• Nap

That’s it. Just nap. 

When and where you want. 

In the winter, find a spot where the sun flows in, and in the summer, under a fan on the porch is great.

• Write a letter to yourself. 

I LOVE the exercise of writing a letter to myself. Be your own accountability partner and buddy during the quarantine. Check-in on yourself on a weekly or monthly basis to see how you’re doing. Getting that letter is exciting, and a great reality check.

Write about how you’re feeling, your goals, and anything else that’s on your mind. For more on writing a letter to yourself, and apps that will let you schedule notes to yourself, check out my article Write A Letter To Your Future Self  

• Puzzles

Yep, I know. Nerd alert. 

Work with me on this one. 

Try a gorgeous destination puzzle. 

The satisfaction of clicking in a piece is sorta like solving an equation while popping bubble wrap.

 It’s visual, tactile, and surprisingly zen. I just knocked off a 1000 piece scene of my gorgeous Portofino. 

Puzzling can be amazingly meditative, especially when paired with classical music and a glass of vino. 

• Even Fido gets the blues!

Your pup is thrilled to have you around 24/7, but trust me, he’s dying for diversion too. 

Mine greets the UPS guy like he’s wearing red meat around his neck. 

Take this time for a little training, whether it be basic obedience or a new trick.

YouTube has plenty of videos. Your best friend will be thrilled with the attention (and treats), and you’ll be glad for the extra “cooperation” when this is all over. 

• Make Your TV Work a Little Harder For You

Tip #1 – Take it easy on the Netflix/ Amazon binging. Both lineups are already full of poorly dubbed foreign flicks, and with production shut down, it’s going to be a long, dry fall and winter season. But here are some things that will make your TV work a little harder for you. 

Walk away from the news. Yes, it’s important and It can be addictive, but it’s also unsettling and upsetting. Get a quick current events fix and then tune into some great music on Pandora or Amazon. 

You pilates, yoga studio or club shut down? No problem. 

There are tons of free exercise videos on both cable and Amazon. 

Do cardio, strength, or just a long walk with hand weights. 

Pick your favorite and give it a half-hour or so every day.

If you aren’t a fan of YouTube, you’re missing out. 

YouTube is everything.

 Not sure how to cook spaghetti squash? Want to learn about blogging for money? Never sure how to slice an avocado without getting the avocado gash? It’s all there. 

Just stream it to your TV to watch it in comfort, and life gets a lot more interesting. 

I love gardening and it’s “plant porn” 24/7.

Warning! It’s a rabbit hole. Approach with caution. 

Make Your Quarantine Really Count – Find Your Passion Project

Those are the sanity savers. 

If you’re ready to dig into something meatier and more meaningful here are some ideas.

Pick your passion project for while in quarantine and lean in!

Been thinking about starting an online business, losing 20 pounds, trying out alcohol-free?

Start today.

Here are a couple things I’ve been working on.

• Started a new online business. 

Niche sites are a great opportunity right now and can create residual incomes. So I dove in.

Don’t know what a niche site is? Google it. You’ll be intrigued.

Follow the steps I took to design and launch my new business during coronavirus:

• Google “niche sites” to get an understanding of how they work.
• Find one or two niche specialists and take all of their free online courses to see if it’s for you. 
• Join their Facebook groups to see what people like you are saying.
• Research potential niches of things that interest you. 
• Find an online SEO class. (This is all FREE so far).
• If you’re serious about starting an online business, enroll in a paid online niche site class.
• Get a site up using a free theme like ASTRA. The courses walk you through this.
• Start writing. 
• My partner and I launched two months ago, and we have close to 40 articles up on the site. 
• Warning – This is a long game and if you don’t enjoy research and writing it’s probably not for you. 

Let me know in the Comments section below if you’d like to read more about online businesses or reinventing yourself after 50!

• Lost 15 pounds eating keto

Keto just seemed wrong to me. High fat, low in veggies and fruits, and contrary to my natural instincts. But it was time to stop the apocalypse eating. 

A friend talked me into trying keto, and I LOVE it. 

The key is to do a fair amount of cooking, so things stay interesting. 

I’ll be writing about how I’ve lost 15 pounds so far, and sharing some of the amazing recipes like Iced Coffee Popsicles and Cheesy Broccoli that help keep me on track. 

If you want to know more, sign up, and you’ll get monthly notices of new content. 

• Took up gardening

The South Florida heat and spring fever started to kick in early this year. Growing a little flower garden to add some curb appeal to my home came to me about a month before coronavirus, and it took off from there! 

I’m loving my butterfly garden, my cottage garden, tomato plants, and herb garden. And there’s more to come.

The catharsis of grabbing that overgrown vegetation around my house and yanking it out was amazing, not to mention a great workout! The pure joy of watering and nurturing my plants every day brought new “life” to my home. 

• Options if you don’t have lots of space to garden:

Plant a small raised bed.

Plant a container garden for your entryway or a kitchen garden for your window.

Try your hand at an herb garden. So easy and so useful.

• Already an experienced gardener?

Sectioning off a space for a “cocktail garden.”  

Put together your signature craft cocktails or mocktails from your own fresh ingredients. Clip some spearmint for your mint juleps or mint for your mojitos, Pluck some fresh blackberries, or go botanical with basil, cilantro jalapeno peppers. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. 

(Want to know more about a cocktail garden?  Let me know in the comments section below. I’d love to write about it. )

• Knocked Off Another Round of Alcohol-Free Living

A month into quarantine, I knew solitude, extra weight, and drinking more than usual is not a winning combination! Another round of Alcohol-Free living was in order for me. 

I try to take a month or two off every season. It’s not as hard as it sounds.

You can read all about My Alcohol-Free experiment in Crush the Alcohol Free Experiment.

Download the assessment form to see how you stack up. 

It takes energy to wake up and face the day with enthusiasm, and alcohol can sap the ever-lovin’ life out of you. I decided to take a break in late May, and here I am sailing through Dry July with no end in sight. 

 Are you thinking it may be time to take a break from booze? 

Check out, “Blame it on the Wine – 5 Signs It’s Time to Break Up With Booze.”

There’s no need to cancel “mocktail hour.” It’s all about the ritual anyhow. Pick a couple favorite craft alcohol free mocktails, make them pretty, and enjoy.

Keep an eye out for “Great Summer Mocktails.” I’ll be sharing my quarantine favorites next week. Meanwhile, get inspired with “Raise The Bar! 5 Great Alcohol Free Craft Cocktails” for some of my favorites and the barware, you need to create your own craft mocktails. PS- There are some excellent tips for amping up your craft cocktails too. 

And now, find your passion project while in quarantine!

Make a shortlist and pick one. 

Jot down those things that are always rattling around in your brain. 

Start with one of these prompts and go. 

• “Something I’ve always wanted to do is…..”
• “I’d love to be my own boss and ……”
• “Three months in quarantine would be time well spent if I …..”
• “I always wanted to ……….before I check out.”
• Once you’ve picked your passion, (pick one!) explore it a bit further by defining your “why.” Why do you want to do this?
• Set a realistic goal of where you could be in a couple of months.
• Brainstorm the major steps to get there. Make every step measurable. 
• Try doing this in a mind map, which is a diagram laying out the significant milestones. Use colored pencils and stickers if you have them to make it graphic and something you can refer back to regularly. I’ll be writing more about mind mapping and journaling later in the season. 
• Dig into each milestone, adding a list of steps you’ll need to take below each and completion date for the milestone. 
• Set time each day to work on your passion project. 
• Try out a free app like Trello to track your goals and progress in a clear and fun presentation. 

Let me know what your passion project is in the Comments section below.

 If there’s anything you’d like to hear more about, let me know in the comments section below or by email to Cynthia@secondmojo.com.

I’ll be writing more about these topics and lots more over the summer. If you’re on my mailing list, you’ll get a notice in your monthly email. If you’re not, join now. Subscribe at the top of the page! (Don’t worry- you won’t hear from me daily!)

Thanks for stopping by.

Xox 

Cyn