Sanity in short supply

A friend and I were chatting about how "sanity will be in short supply" and it made me think. As many have said, this is not a sprint, this is a marathon. Beyond caring for our bodies by washing our hands and social distancing, quarantine will be a test for our sanity, and maintaining it, will be a practice. Beyond meditation, self-discipline and a routine is a necessary skill that I'm trying to get better at. Habits can be established in 10 days, and by doing the same thing over and over it becomes muscle memory. Each of us has their own practices for helping our minds stay sane, so here are some things I've found that help me keep my anxiety at bay. As soon as I'm up, I roll out of bed and try to keep the same pattern.

• EXERCISE. I try to make it not too long or daunting. Just a wake up routine. For me it's usually just 15-30 mins of Ashtanga or weights or a Pilates I know by heart.

• MEDITATE. Using whatever tools I have - online meditations, the Insight Timer app, following my breath - I sit 20 mins a day in the morning. A lovely idea from my teacher, Ethan Nichtern, is to set up a small group of friends and text each other when we sit. It helps keep you accountable and on track.

• COFFEE. I'm down to a cup a day because anything else sets off my nerves. The process of making coffee in the morning is calming and I love hearing the bubbling of the Italian press on my stove. I actually look forward to it falling asleep...

• JOURNALING. Free writing is a technique I learned in my teens to get out all the anxious thoughts and channel whatever inner wisdom I have available. There are many techniques but I love Julia Cameron's 3 pages a day from "The Artist's Way". I like to end with some sort of plan for the day or list some things I'm grateful for.

• GET OUT. We have a foster dog and I need to walk him. But even without a pet, opening a window and feeling the sun, going for a walk or jog changes my perspective for the day.

• START WORK WITH DAILY GOALS. I try to setting small goals for the day for work and the household. In better times I have a to do list that is a mile long and end up feeling like I didn't achieve all I wanted to. In times such as these, setting small attainable goals are so helpful. I find that if I reflect at night and make a little list for the next day, I wake up with purpose. Here's one article I found that helps build a solid to-do list.

• PROTECT YOUR MIND. We need to be mindful about what we consume in terms of news, and know our tolerance level. Some days we may be curious about statistics, others we may need a break. Make sure you check in with yourself before you turn on the TV or read the news. And think about shutting input off a few hours before sleep.