This post was written in partnership with ABLEnow®
Quarantine has been hard on so many of us. During the beginning of quarantine, many of us took up new hobbies, tried new routines, and looked for some ways to make the time we spent meaningful. For me, living with chronic illness for so many years has taught me how much energy, time, and happiness lots of change at once can bring. So when it became clear that we were going to be in our houses for a long time, I needed to put a plan in place to save my sanity during the quarantine. A plan that would keep me from getting too frustrated, bored, or tank my mental health. Here are some of the things I’ve done to save my sanity during the quarantine:
Time Outdoors
Getting outside gives you time in the sunshine, exercise, and a break from the monotony, all things that are excellent for your mental health. The thing is? There is only so much exercise I can do, but I still want to enjoy that sun. So I got myself a great patio set to help me remember to occasionally sit outside and soak up some sunshine. Bonus? My nephew and I got a fire pit so we can enjoy some s’mores!
Redecorating
Spending more time in my own surroundings helped me to realize how little effort I put into making my home look lovely. All the inner work is wonderful, but if you see no beauty reflected back to you by your surroundings. Every time I walked into my house, I felt like I was making a mental list of all the things that was wrong with it. Redecorating has given me a chance to really zone in on the things that are working in the house, recenter the way my household functions, and WOW is it pretty in here. Being able to see a beautiful and functional space has changed everything. I’m able to enjoy the space I’m in, which has incredible mental health benefits, and when I’m having a bad day the way I have the house set up helps me to keep my routines and housekeeping simple. A win win win scenario.
Money
Being in the middle of this pandemic has made for a financial strain on many households. We have many more needs to keep us comfortable here, and especially for households where disability is a factor, we may need some additional support. One of the things I have been focusing on while we are at home is increasing my financial literacy, and I had to come back again to the ABLEnow® account. ABLEnow accounts are available to eligible individuals in all 50 states. Also, ABLEnow offers digital tools and resources so you can open and manage your account from home, conveniently. These accounts are incredible for folks living with disabilities. You can use them to save for disability-related expenses like in-home education expenses, respite care, telemedicine, accessible home improvement, or delivery of a new device or equipment not covered by insurance. So many of these expenses put a serious strain on our finances, and having one more tool in our arsenal is always so welcome. The bonus? You can actually use your stimulus check to open and fund an ABLEnow account.
I hope you’re doing everything you can to save your sanity while we are living under quarantine. You deserve to maintain your independence, your peace of mind, and your stability as we journey through this to whatever the new normal might be. To learn more about ABLEnow and if you or your loved one is eligible, head here.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ABLEnow.
Until next time,
René
