Staying at home to work, providing children education, being unemployed, or spending excessive time alone can present challenges for many families and individuals. One way to help cope is to set a new routine.
Some tips to get started:
- Create a schedule. Find an online template or app that provides a way to list activities for every hour of the day or make one of your own. Schedule something at least every hour.
- Establish times for waking up, meals and snacks, going to bed, and sleeping.
- Get ready for the day, bath or shower, brush your teeth, get dressed. Don’t wear pajamas all day.
- Set start and end times for things like hobbies, meditating, self-care, taking walks, bicycling, other exercise, making phone calls or video conferencing with friends or family, social media activity, reading, playing games, walking/playing with pets, music, cooking, gardening or yard work, watching TV, journaling, movie time, and other leisure activities.
- Routine and schedule are especially important for children and help them feel a sense of stability, security, and structure. Set consistent start and end times for schooling or education. If possible, find out how your child’s school organizes the day and frame your schedule in a similar way. Set times for chores, crafts, snacks, music, play, and naps or relaxation.
- If working from home, set hours similar to those worked on site. Create a space in your home for work activities, preferably away from distractions. If possible, make it a space you can get away from when you are not on the clock. Schedule time for meals and breaks.
- Make time for breaks.
- Make sure everyone gets some alone time.
- Be sure to keep any essential medical or mental health appointments. Try telehealth when available or appropriate.
- Schedule time to go out for necessities. Try to do this once a week or less and pick a non-peak time.
- Build in time for helping neighbors and others, such as doing their yardwork or dropping off meals, baked goods, groceries, medications, or mail at the doorstep. Look for other ways to safely volunteer.
For additional information, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov
For answers to your COVID-19 questions, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).
If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic, help is available. Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 (1-800-846-8517 TTY); connect with a trained counselor through the Ohio Crisis Text Line by texting the keyword “4HOPE” to 741741; or call the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services help line at 1-877-275-6364 to find resources in your community.
Information provided by the Ohio Department of Health.