Things you can do to set yourself up for success when self-isolation ends
Things you can do to set yourself up for success when self-isolation ends.
These are certainly scary times. It’s easy to stay living in fear but my suggestion is to don’t let it consume you. If you need to, allow yourself to be fearful for a set time period everyday – say 10 minutes, and then get on with living!
Remember the days you were begging for more time to complete tasks. Now’s your chance.
Things to Do:
Look at your finances. Now is a great time to look at what comes out and what will be coming in each month. What are your monthly expenses? If your income was or is going to change over the next months is there anything that can be cut back on now? No use waiting and having it all happen as a big surprise. Preparation is key.
Do you have a budget? How much are you spending on debt and interest payments? It’s a great time to be open with your partner and take a real look at any debt that has accumulated. Work as a team to figure out a plan to knock this down once your income returns to normal. Your monthly cash flow will thank you for it.
Set up a strategy to start saving for a 3-month emergency fund. Money isn’t everything but it gives you choices. Imagine if you were living through this event with no financial worries because you had a safety net for the monthly expenses you figured out above. Start planning for how you can set that up for the future.
Now that you are having to do without some everyday things, discuss what habits/expenses you can and can’t live without when things get back to a normal routine. (think Starbucks, Tim Hortons, gym memberships, lunch out every day)
Develop new healthy habits. Now that you have time, you can prepare healthy meals as a family. Teach your kids how to cook and measure things.
Eat as a family at the table. Use your good china (Is that still a thing?) Set up a picnic on the family room floor.
Is there an area of your house you’ve been meaning to de-clutter, rearrange or thoroughly clean? Or flip your mattress and clean your windows, change your smoke detector batteries.
Have a sleep over with your family in the living room in sleeping bags. Make s’mores.
Visit a virtual museum or zoo – here’s the links
https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour
Remember to stay safe and keep your mind positive by keeping it active. You can drown in fear or you can make progress. Your choice!
-Jodi