Staying home: survival tips

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • April 4, 2020

It’s not business as usual.

Since my last column a month ago, our lives have been turned upside down. We’re all at home. Social distancing. Self-quarantining when necessary to protect ourselves and our families. We’re stressed out. On information overload. Worried about the future. Concerned about our friends and family. And we are exhausted.

Home sweet home has become our refuge and hopefully, it’s what will keep us safe and able to come out on the other side of this crisis called coronavirus.

One of my favorite places in Key West: the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens is a step back in time to the world of a maritime pilot in mid-19th century Key West. The grand home that is now known as the Audubon House was built by Captain John Huling Geiger in the 1840s as a residence for his family, who lived there for more than a century. Peaceful and restful. Photo: Wrenda Goodwyn.

It’s not the time to talk about tips on redoing your home, affordable decorating or the latest trends. That will resume at another time and hopefully, soon.

But this is a fact: we’re all at home and we have to find ways to make the best of it and get through each day. I’ve been thinking about this a lot. And because I have a home office and spend a lot of time at home when I am not meeting with clients in their homes, I have a few suggestions that may help.

Make a list. Every morning. Instead of just falling into the day and spinning around, spiraling into exhaustion, make a list of some things that you want to accomplish that day. Like: Make your bed. Call or text a few people. Order some necessities online. Walk the dog. Read a book. Trust me: a list helps.

Do something for someone. A note to see how they’re doing. A gift card for a favorite restaurant. A promise to meet up in a couple of months for breakfast. Or it can be as simple as not buying too much of scarce products so others can get what they need. Order something for someone who needs a little help. Donate to a charity to help our medical workers.

Start a vision board. Go through that stack of magazines or do it on Pinterest. I like clipping pretty photos out of magazines. Pick a topic. It can be your dream house. A vacation. Beaches that you want to visit. Soothing images.

Keep a journal. Not to record every frightening part of this situation but to keep you on track. Five things to be thankful for each day. A list of what you want to do when this passes (and it will). It can be very simple but writing it down helps.

Mental escape. Go someplace. Take a tour of Buckingham Palace or the Frida Kahlo Museum. You will find some great choices here.

Organize your closet. Take everything out. Everything. Give the space a deep cleaning. Walls, floor, shelving. Then piece by piece, put back what you want to keep. Don’t stress out about this. Just do your best and you will feel a little more in control.

Clean something every day. It’s important to keep surfaces really clean. Give your kitchen a wipe down every day, several times a day. Countertops, sink, refrigerator, drawer pulls, switch plates. One day a week, clean bathrooms. Another day, vacuum and mop floors. Pick a day to do the bedrooms from top to bottom. I find that this works much better than cleaning everything on one day. And it’s less exhausting. Make your list.

Sort all those photos. This is a really good time to go through the piles of photos from before everything was done digitally. Sort them out into piles and send them to friends or family members who will appreciate receiving them. A thoughtful gesture for this time.

Read a book. If you don’t have a library card, you can get a temporary one that is available to help us all through this situation. You can do it online here. This great resource allows access to newspapers, magazines, videos, music, audio and downloadable books and more. Check it out. I find audio books to be really helpful before going to sleep.

Mental health. We are all glued to the news and social media for the latest updates. But too much information nonstop is not healthy. Find a source you trust and limit updates.

Take care of the basics. Sleep. Nutrition. Exercise. Fresh air. Sunshine. Try to practice these each day. Do the best you can. Stay safe.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog