Frugal Ways of Coping While Isolating

I know times are tough and getting tougher the longer we all have to isolate. Because we live in Silicon Valley and in one of the hot spots for the virus, we know that our hamlet will be among the last to lift restrictions in California.

So we are in it for the long haul.

As such, I’ve had a lot of friends, readers and even family ask how we are coping so well and came up with our own COVID COPING SEVEN, see below:

1.  The Big Sleep. To ward off depression, worry, anxiety and other feelings cropping up from all this isolation, we focus on getting way more sleep than we used to. Not only do we feel better but being so well rested means we are more rational and calmer throughout the day. Bonus: sleep is free.
2.  Hunt down humor. These times more than ever, we could use a good laugh. I accidently stumbled on the fact that I’d bought a half dozen Bugs Bunny cartoons years ago and there they were sitting in my Amazon video account. I now play them whenever I need good laugh. Bonus: the big red monster with the tennis shoes (aka, Gossamer) holds up really well as does Toro the Bull who chased Bugs around the arena.
3.  Make Meal Magic. We schedule Taco Tuesdays and Seafood Sundays, along with No Fuss Fridays (either easy cook or take out) for meals. Having themes for meals gives us structure and something to look forward to.
4.  Hobbies help. I have gotten back into my DYI projects and refreshing my home décor. I spend little to nothing on these hobbies and rely on what I already have on hand. And I am plowing through my summer reading list. I also keep the yard up myself and our garden is thriving.
5.  Isolate in Isolation. A little bit of distance doesn’t hurt. My partner and I can usually be found, APART, in the evenings with him watching tv downstairs and me upstairs. Even though we are sheltering together, having a little apart time helps. and while you are at it:
6.  Maintain the mystery. Shut the bathroom door, maintain privacy when dying your hair, etc. Just because you are stuck at home with your family doesn’t mean that social niceties cannot be observed. I put on make up every single day.
7.  Keep in contact. I keep a running list of people I check in with over email and via video conferencing.

My daughter maintains an above ground pool so the kids can swim nearly every day. They also have video and game nights and special Sunday brunches. My best friend and her husband barely made it into their new home before the shelter in place order came down so they spent months unpacking. Now they are working on their year-round garden and my BFF has busted out a number of her craft projects that were languishing in storage. None of these things costs money but really helps during this unprecedented time where there really is no playbook on how to isolate and stay well mentally as well as physically.

The point is, there are many things you can do that don’t cost a penny while isolating that really do help. What are YOU doing to keep calm and carry on?