Unpopular Opinion: Quarantine Hasn’t Been That Hard on Me

Unpopular opinion: Quarantine hasn’t been that hard on me.

Please don’t think I’m making light of Covid-19. I’m not. I am devastated by the loss of life and the loss of livelihood in our communities. What I’m saying is that staying home just isn’t that big of a deal to me. It’s actually been kind of…relaxing, as much as one can relax with a two ½-year-old and an 11-month-old.

Before Covid-19, I was team “GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.” Every. Day. It was my mission to find something for us to do that required getting in the car. I believed it was imperative to my sanity and the happiness of my boys. We ventured to neighborhood parks, Target, Goodwill (so many Goodwills), grandparent’s houses, the YMCA, and most importantly, Starbucks! My oldest also attended a Moms Day Out program one day a week. We did it all and most days before noon. It was great. It helped me get over that fear of leaving the house and juggling two kids at once. It helped me caffeinate and socialize and workout. It also added some (self-inflicted) pressure. Well, we already went to that park, or I really don’t need to go to the grocery store right now, so what am I going to do?

When I needed some solo time, I did things like get my nails done, sit in the library to read or browse TJ Maxx. When the order to quarantine happened, all of that vanished. How does a SAHM “getaway” now? Well, for starters, I started getting serious about running. Running outside is a therapy for me, and I’m slowly getting better. I ran my first “virtual” quarter marathon last month, and it was amazing. It doesn’t give me a ton of time “away”—usually an hour or so, but it’s a nice, quiet hour where I’m doing something good for my body and my mind. The fact that it is free is even better! I also really savor my once-weekly grocery trips alone. Taking kids to the grocery can be both fun and exhausting. Now, I can usually remember what I need to get without a list! I wish I could say it has cut down on spending or random Paw Patrol toys, but it has not. I am weak.

I still want to get the boys out of the house, so we spend an embarrassing amount of time in the McDonald’s drive-thru and at our local park (walking and social distancing). My oldest has gotten into working out with mom via my Obe online workouts. We also have a small pool and enough outdoor toys to be mistaken for a home daycare. Yay! As areas start to open up, I’m excited to visit area splash pads and the zoo. I still hope to keep staying home, staying safe, and staying sane, though. I take a lot of deep breaths, and I work out. A LOT. (It helps, I swear!) But, if being stuck at home with the family I created is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, then I’m pretty darn lucky.

What are you doing to stay busy? Are you an extrovert that needs to get out or an introvert that is loving the time alone? Let us know below or reach out to us on social media to share your quarantine thoughts. We’re all in it together.