Working from home isn't anything new for me. I've been working from home for the past two years,  but working from home with two other people constantly in the background is uncharted territory. We've been practicing social distancing for about a month now, and with at-home school activities finally added into the mix, we're finally finding a rhythm that works for our family. That said, being cooped up in the house with the same people for so many weeks, at the constant beck and call of a 5 year old, without being able to escape to Target for an hour has been trying. Since we're all in the same boat, I thought I would share some of the things that are keeping me from losing my cool.

Getting Dressed and Ready Every Day - This may seem crazy considering I barely leave the house these days, but there's just something about that familiar routine of picking out an outfit and doing my hair and makeup that gets my day off on the right foot.

Amazon Music/Pandora - I would not make it through my work day without music playing. Not only does it drown out the background noise of whatever my husband and daughter are doing, it helps me focus on my work and keeps me calm.

Reading - This is probably the biggest one for me. Since I can't escape to anywhere other than the grocery store these days (and let's be honest, grocery shopping is way more of a chore than ever with all that's going on), reading has become my daily escape route.

Grocery Delivery - Speaking of grocery shopping, I'm officially in love with Publix delivery. It's so simple. You shop on the app, approve any substitutions, and then just wait. Of course, like with everything, you can get a bad shopper, but that's only happened to me once, and I left a detailed review so hopefully it won't happen again.

Relaxed Screen Time Rules - As a rule, we try to keep Alexis's day pretty balanced between activity and TV time. School was a big help in that regard, and last summer I made sure to plan several activities a week to keep her occupied. Obviously none of that is happening right now, but instead of suffering through life without television, we're being more relaxed about how much she's getting to watch while still encouraging free play.

Journaling - I recently picked back up the habit of writing in a journal. It's not something I do on a daily basis, but writing about what I'm feeling has always helped me get through tough situations.

Blogging - I may be wrong, but I feel like I've done some of my best blogging during this time. I've been experimenting with different posts, exploring different blog groups online, and interacting with some of my readers.

Focusing on the Good - I made a decision at the beginning of all this to not get bogged down by the negative stories that were sure to flood my timeline. I've been very selective in the types of articles I've allowed myself to read concerning the pandemic and largely avoided social media other than for the purpose of work. I also joined a local support group that's been phenomenal in lifting each other up and sharing inspiring, positive messages daily.

What are you doing to keep your sanity during all this craziness?