Keep Calm and Stay Home

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These days were all doing the same thing:  shelter in place, self-quarantine, stay at home.  Whatever you choose to call it, we’re home.  All day, every day until this pandemic subsides.  How are you doing at home?

For me sheltering in place is my reality.  When you live with a chronic illness, like spondyloarthritis, there can be stretches of time when I am staying at home.  This is usually when I’m having an arthritis flare…an increase in my usual symptoms of back pain, joint pain, and fatigue.  In these times when I’m home, I’ve learned to stay content for the most part.  If my flare is severe, then I’m in bed, usually sleeping throughout the day.  With a moderate flare, I’m still in bed, but I can enjoy reading books, watching tv, surfing the web.  If I’m having a mild flare, then I can take a short walk around my neighborhood or practice some gentle yoga stretches.

When Governor Murphy put into place a stay at home order for New Jersey, I thought to myself…”I’ve got this!”  I’m used to staying home; how bad can this be?  Here are my strategies for staying sane while staying at home:

Have a purpose:  One thing I think about before I go to bed is what would I like to accomplish the next day.  By having a plan for each day, there is a reason and a purpose for me to get up and get going.  It could be cleaning an area of my house, organizing photographs, organizing important documents or any tasks that I have put off doing. By planning ahead, I have motivation to get out of bed each day.  

Have a regular routine: For me, one of the strategies that helps me cope with this is to have a regular routine.  I try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up the same time each morning.  Even though, I have nowhere to go, I have a morning routine that includes breakfast, clean up the kitchen, read from my bible or devotional, get showered and dressed, and then work on whatever goal I’ve set for the day. 

Stick to my Yoga practice : I attend yoga classes two days a week at the YMCA.  Now that it is closed, the “Y” has posted my yoga classes on Youtube.  It is really assuring and soothing to hear and see my yoga teacher.  During these times, I had moments where I feel anxious.  I acknowledge the moment, let it pass, and get back to what I was doing.    Practicing yoga and meditation has taught me this concept of acknowledging a thought and then let it go.

It’s Spring!  Get Outside!:    One positive aspect of staying home is the beautiful spring weather we’ve been enjoying.  It’s lovely to go outside in the sunshine, take a walk around my neighborhood, and begin preparing our gardens and planting beds.  Open the windows in your home and let the fresh air in.

I have never had an episode of illness where I was home for three weeks and counting. Even this, is something that I must adjust to with all my experience being home.  I stay connected to my family through phone calls and Facetime.  I have weekly video meetings with my coworkers.  I stay connected to the students I advise and tutor.  Still, it’s not the same as meeting face-to-face.  However, this will have to do for now. 

Stay Healthy!  Stay Safe!