My Mood Boosting Secret For Surviving Quarantine

I've heard from a lot of people that Corona has them experiencing a lot of sudden mood swings. I’ve even seen some pretty great memes on the topic.

Kelsey Stewart Cartoon - Week 17 of Quarantine and now everything (happy & sad) makes me cry - Quarantine Mood Boosting - Her Bags Were Packed

While everyone is handling the situation differently, and I know I'm lucky to live in a place with plenty of green space and a low population, I'm not immune from the wild emotional ride that is pandemic living. My day might start positive, but, come afternoon, I might have a panic attack or start crying for reasons that don't make any sense.

So what can we do about it?

Be kind to yourself.

It's important to remember this is a huge adjustment. If you are not inspired (or just don't have the energy) to take on a new hobby or home repair project, that's okay. This isn't a vacation. It's a global health crisis. Make the best of it, but also remember to be patient with yourself.

Kelsey Stewart Cartoon - Staying informed / not succumbing to anxiety and hoplessness - Balance - Quarantine Mood Boosting - Her Bags Were Packed

Make a mood boosting list

Create a list of activities that are known to bring you joy or boost your mood. I first created my version of this list last November. 2019 had been a rough year -- there were mold/leak issues in my house that were making me sick, my dad was killed, and I then broke my hand and wrist. Talk about an emotional time!

I couldn’t control the many things impacting my mood -- sort of like now during quarantine -- so I decided to make a list of things I could control and use it as inspiration on those days when I was feeling “blah!”

Here's my list:

Have You…. Today?

Have you eaten healthy foods today?

Have you taken a walk today?

Have you drank plenty of water today?

Have you danced it out today?

Have you taken a shower today?

Have you put on makeup today?

Have you stretched/done yoga today?

The idea wasn’t that I had to do all these things every day, but that on a day when I was struggling to find motivation or accomplish anything, I could look at the list and pick one or two activities to try. I could take a walk, move my body and get fresh air, or I could make something healthy to eat. If I was feeling really bleh I could just start by taking a shower and putting on makeup.

Did it work all the time? No. Sometimes I didn't have the motivation to try something from the list, so instead I wasted the day away on the couch. But most days it worked as a little jumpstart to get me out of my rut and moving again.

I have continued to use my list during this time as a reminder of what I can control when the craziness sends me into a downward spiral.

I even suspect (though I can't yet prove it) that my boyfriend may sometimes secretly use the list against me when I'm being a little irrational. Is there any other logical explanation why last night, while it was raining and I was not making a lot of sense, he randomly suggested we take a walk?

What about you?

How have you been managing your emotions during this time?

What would be on your list?

Note: The comics used in today’s post were created by Kelsey Stewart. You might remember Kelsey from the My Favorite Things with Kelsey Stewart piece back in January. Check out more of Kelsey’s comics here.