Oh my goodness! What a month!  This month seems have lasted a year!  And I thought that February was a doozy! Ironically, at the end of February, I was hoping for space and time to open up for me and that the weather would be warmer.  It did and it was.

Here’s five things that I have been doing (and should have been doing more of) this month to keep me sane:

1. Running. I got sick, not coronavirus, one week this month and couldn’t run.  And I felt it, mentally, physically, emotionally, everything. Near the end of the month, I was able to start running again and my sanity seemed to come back.
2. Media Breaks. I have had to stay off of news outlets and social media. At first, I was going down the rabbit hole in the name of staying informed.  But what it was actually doing was causing panic attacks. Seriously. Three of them. Now, I check the news with the intention of finding out what I need to know for the day and then, I do my best, not to check it again.  I even hid my internet app – it takes me four swipes to get to it. Before, it was on my home screen.
3. Jigsaw Puzzles. The Buddy Man is a very good puzzle worker for five-years-old and we have been working a few together. My mommy and sister are excellent puzzle workers and I was not as good as they were. Besides, I had my books but Christmas last year, I bought a 500 piece puzzle and enjoyed it.  So this year, I have worked a few more and liked them very much. I think I might be a puzzle worker. There’s something very soothing about it.
4. Showing Myself Grace. The first two(ish) weeks of social distancing were difficult – see aforementioned panic attacks.  Then I read an article on NPR.org about how COVID-19 has upended our world and that it’s OK to grieve.  And I realized that I hadn’t fully processed my emotions about what was happening.  This allowed me to give myself grace, recognizing that things were different and I have never experienced anything like this before. It’s OK to feel a bit lost and confused.
5. Family Time. I am so very grateful for the time and space that has opened up in our lives. Both Hubby and I are blessed to still be working but due to social distancing, my Hubby has been home more throughout the day.  We have played games, gone on walks, ate more meals together, and generally spent more time together and with the Buddy Man. I don’t know if I would trade that for the world.

BONUS: I Love Lucy Show. I have been watching old episodes on Hulu.  They are a huge source of comic relief.  And the Coronovirus memes on social media have been so fun.

What kept you sane this month? Tell me below and if you have a monthly recap post, please link it there too.  We do this every month and we will do it again on Friday, May 1^st. I pray that, by then, we will be returning to some normalcy, while keeping the things that matter.

enjoy life…