How to Develop a Routine During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Опубликовал Admin

25-06-2021, 18:20

The coronavirus outbreak has uprooted many families and households, understandably leaving countless people feeling uncertain about the future. You may not be able to change the present circumstances, but you can give yourself some peace of mind by developing a consistent routine at home. Think about your personal needs and lifestyle and try to create a plan of action that best caters to you and your household!

Maintaining a Normal Schedule

Go to bed and wake up at a consistent time. Set a consistent bedtime for yourself, and do your best to stick with it each night. If you find yourself tossing and turning, create a relaxing routine for yourself, like taking a warm bath 90 minutes before you plan on sleeping. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night so you can feel as well-rested and refreshed as possible.
- For instance, if you work in the morning, try to go to bed by 11 PM.
- Don’t use electronics before going to bed, as they may make it harder for you to fall asleep.
Chat with your friends and family to stay connected. Choose at least 1 day to call a loved one to check in. Video chatting apps, like FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom, can add a more personal touch to the conversation, and make it feel like you’re in the room with someone. If you don’t have time for a call, try texting your friends and family so you can stay in touch frequently.
- Group chats are a great way to stay in touch with your loved ones.
- For instance, you can call a close friend or family member every Friday at 4:30 PM, or at whatever time works for you.
Do some household chores every day. Think about the most pressing things that you need to get done, like washing the dishes or vacuuming the floor. Set aside 30 minutes or so to tidy up around your home, even if you’re only working on small tasks. If you’d like to stay extra organized, assign different chores to different days of the week.
- For instance, you can vacuum on Monday, clean your windows on Tuesday, and clean out your bathroom sink on Wednesday.
Prepare tasty meals and snacks. Give yourself some time in the morning, afternoon, or evening to get the ingredients for your meal together. Cook any raw meats ahead of time, and prepare your side dishes before you plan on having a meal. This type of planning gives you a lot of time to prepare, and can take a lot of stress out of your schedule.
- Eat your fresh foods before opening any canned food, since it will go bad a lot more quickly.
Make a 30-minute workout routine to stay active. Get your blood pumping with some burpees, push-ups, squats, and other exercises. Do them all in a row, like a circuit, or space them out over a longer workout. Start with 10 reps of each exercise, or however many you’re comfortable doing. Ideally, try to set aside 30 minutes each day to get a good workout.
- For example, you can set aside time from 12:00 to 12:30 PM to exercise during the week.
- Try to get 75 minutes of intense exercise, like running or jump roping, each weak.
- Jumping jacks are another great way to stay in shape.
- Use at-home exercise equipment if you have it, like resistance bands or a jump rope.
Set aside time for hobbies and relaxing activities. Give yourself at least 30 minutes to unwind and do something fun, like reading, playing video games, completing a craft, or doing some other activity that you enjoy. If you’re feeling especially on edge, give yourself some time to meditate and relax.
- For instance, you can do something relaxing from 7:00 to 7:30 PM, or however long you’d like.
- Puzzles and coloring books are soothing ways to unwind.
- Try using a meditation app to help you focus on your breathing and thoughts. Insight Timer is a great resource for this.
Allot yourself a certain amount of time to watch the news. Don’t leave the news on all day—with all the constant reports and updates, the news may be overwhelming to listen to constantly. Instead, give yourself 20 or 30 minutes to watch a news report before turning the TV off altogether.
- For example, you can watch the news from 9:00 to 9:30 AM, then give yourself a break for the rest of the day.
- If you like having the TV on, leave a fun TV show or program running in the background.

Managing Your Family’s Schedule

Hold family meetings once a week so everyone’s on the same page. Pick a time when your whole household is available, then meet somewhere in your home. Use this time to figure out what everyone’s schedule looks like so you can create a plan of action. Review everyone’s work and school commitments so you can have a better idea of what your routine will look like.
- Weekly meetings are a great way to check in and see how everyone’s doing.
- For example, you can host a family meeting at 7:00 PM, or another time when everyone is available.
Write out your household schedule on a whiteboard. Divide your day into small, manageable chunks, which can provide some extra clarity and organization. Jot down any important notes regarding your work schedule, or include a specific timetable for your children’s learning. Fill out the whiteboard on a daily or weekly basis, so you can keep track of what’s coming up. Additionally, set a rough curfew for everyone so you can all stay refreshed.
- For example, you can dedicate 8:00 to 8:30 AM to eating breakfast, 8:30 to 10:30 AM to working or helping your kids with school, and then give yourself a break from 10:30 to 11:00 AM before lunch.
Develop a learning plan for your children. Contact your children’s school and see if there is any online learning plan in place. Use your school’s resources as well as free online learning tools to create a rough homeschooling schedule for your children to follow. Give your kids plenty of breaks so they don’t feel overwhelmed with the transition to homeschooling.
- Look on YouTube for fun webinars that entertain and educate your child at the same time.
- Scholastic offers a lot of free resources on their website to help you during the outbreak.
Create a balanced meal schedule for your household. Jot down a rough meal plan for the coming week. Your plan doesn’t have to be fancy—just focus on simple, easy meals that will keep you and your household full and healthy during the outbreak. Choose foods that you everyone will enjoy and are easy to come by at grocery stores.
- Visit your local grocery store’s website to see if they have a pick-up service. On a weekly basis, you can stop by the store without worrying about bumping into other shoppers!
- Simple foods like soup or sandwiches can make a great meal.
- Try eating meals at consistent times. For instance, you can have breakfast at 8:30 AM, lunch at 1:00 PM, and dinner at 5:30 PM.
Entertain your children with games and free time. Offer young children plenty of breaks during the school day. Give them time to watch some TV, or play a board game with them. After you tuck your kids into bed, you can also keep them entertained with a bedtime story.
- Different kids will want to do different things. If your child is more laid-back, they might prefer a half hour of TV or video games, while a more active kid might want to play tag.

Working from Home

Set up a dedicated workspace. Try not to work from your bed or couch—instead, find a quiet corner of your home where you can work and concentrate. Only spend time in this area when you’re working, so you can relax and unwind in other parts of your home. If you live with other people, remind them not to disturb you while you’re working.
- For instance, you can stay in your work area from 8 AM to 12 PM, then take an hour-long lunch break at some other part of your home. Afterwards, you can finish your workday from 1 PM to 5 PM.
Create a work schedule for yourself. Ask your employer what the workplace plan is. Depending on your workplace, your employer may recommend working at the office or switching to a remote work style. Develop a rough schedule for yourself so you can focus on specific tasks to accomplish throughout the week.
- If you aren’t sure what to focus on, feel free to ask your superior for help! Transitioning to a new workspace can be difficult, and your boss should be willing to work with you.
- Slack and Zoom are great ways to keep in touch remotely.
- For instance, you can set a rough schedule to work from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Get dressed for the day when you wake up. Change out your pajamas into something comfortable that you would normally work in. You’ll probably feel more productive if you’re dressed and ready to go instead of wearing a bathrobe or your PJs.
Take 10-minute breaks throughout the day. Give yourself some time to stand, stretch, and walk around if you’ve been sitting a lot. If you live with a roommate or family members, take some time to say hello and have a short conversation. Feel free to grab a snack or a glass of water while you’re on your break.
- For instance, if you’re working from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, take a break from 10:00 AM to 10:10 AM.
Adjust your schedule if you have young kids at home. Talk to your boss or supervisor about starting work a few hours earlier than usual, especially if you have infants or toddlers. Start your workday in the early morning before your kids wake up so you can balance your time as a caretaker and employee.
- For instance, you can start working at 6:00 AM instead of 8:00 AM.

Tips

Ask your doctor if you can have appointments over the phone. You may have to fill out some privacy forms before you can start.
Draft an emergency contact list in case you get sick.
Designate an area of your home for any sick people.
Wash your hands for 20 seconds several times a day. This is a sure way to stay healthy and sanitary while you’re stuck at home.
Do your best to cough and sneeze into your elbow. This helps prevent the spread of germs.

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