This is truly unprecedented times. No one can recall anything like this since the Spanish Flu in 1819. My friend who is 83 said her poet, orchestra, charismatic grandfather died at age 28. He got up one morning fine, died that night in his sleep. Spanish flu. She says that word of mouth through her family that there were piles of bodies that looked like cords of wood along the side of the road. A truck would come and pick up the contaminated, deceased bodies and they’d be burned in a pit during mass “burials.”

Overreacting?

Although I do think the media has had a hay day churning news and contributing to hysteria, rather than sensibility, hope and logic, I do think it is something we should take seriously now. Here’s why: the faster we can achieve containment and hence, the virus dies on the vine because it has no more new human hosts, the better. It’s like seeing a tsunami from far off. If we get to high ground faster, sooner, the more likely it won’t be an issue.

A virus dies outside the body, on a surface between 24 hours (the flu) and 7 days (cold). It has been speculated that COVID-19 may live on surfaces for up to 9 days. They live best on hard surfaces like stainless steel and plastics, and less so on clothing and hair. So, if we quarantined, if everyone stopped in place for two full weeks (four if sick), everyone carrying coronavirus (asymptomatic) would show signs–and not have infected everyone during the asymptomatic phase.

Instead the more we insist on moving around, and letting our kids go to friend’s houses while out of school, the more chance they pick it up from another child’s parent who may travel or be a medical professional. I’m happy that people are hunkering down and really aiming to limit interactions and that hand sanitizer has become a staple. (Next pandemic: antibiotic resistant super duper bug from all the sanitizers.)

Best tip is the basic tip: Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes! Wash often with soap and water, 20 seconds, and use hand sanitizer when no sink is available. Moisturize too, cracked hands become a breeding ground for infection. Lotion up!

5 Ideas to Keep You Sane

• Mornings. If you’re working from home, take that commute time and use it to have a more meaningful morning. You know, that ideal morning that never seems to happen when you’re rushing to get out the door. My big three tend to be reading scriptures, writing of some sort (journal, gratitude, goal list for the day), and exercise (today it was Bikram yoga at the studio. I was a sweat bomb!).
• Home Projects. Do you have things around the house you’ve been meaning to do? Two of mine were emptying the kitchen cupboards and cleaning inside (I narrowed it down to under the kitchen sink, the lazy-susan where the toaster drops crumbs, two utensil drawers and the junk draw); another project I tackled was repainting my grandmother’s hope chest that I painted a year ago red and I hate it, so I went to Home Depot and bought two sample paint cans ($4.99 ea) and repainted it dark teal-blue. So much better!
• Dial-a-Buddy. Pick up the phone and actually call your friends. Reconnect with someone you’ve been missing or haven’t talked to in awhile. Life is so much different than the little window of Instagram.
• Cook. This is the time to get creative and find ways to use ingredients you have on hand. It’s also a great way to connect with your family if you cook or bake together.

Reflect on Lessons You’re Learning

This is a great time to take stock of your level of preparation. It’s amazing how many people live toilet paper to toilet paper. Just kidding! But seriously, could you survive two weeks without a store run? What about a month?

This is just one type of national emergency. Right now we care about cleaning products and toilet paper. However, we could have a terrorist attack on our water system in major cities. There could be a failure in your local town. Do you have enough water on hand?

In 2015, 115K residents of San Diego went without electricity for days. That means everything in their fridge spoiled and everything in the freezer melted. No snow to just throw it on the back porch. (Throwback from growing up in Idaho.) If that happened to you, do you have enough canned food, or at least peanut butter to get by? I know it’s a healthful thing to eat fresh ingredients, but there has to be a store of less perishable items in your pantry. Ramen noodles are better than the foam from your couch.

Once this crises subsides and the stores are in a healthier state of supply chain and demand, really assess what your family would need to get by if you hand to hunker down at home for a period of time, no exceptions. Check the expiration dates on the food you do have. It’s okay past the “Best by” date, but you don’t want to be stuck with a can of beans from 2003.

Keep a healthy supply of paper towels, tissue and toilet paper on hand. Also include a store of paper plates, cups and utensils in case there’s a water shortage and you can’t do dishes.

Know How to Make Food Last Longer

Eggs. If your eggs are getting old (they are bad if they float in water), boil them. Older eggs are better for boiling, fresh eggs are better for scramble.

Fruit. Know that you can freeze almost anything. When my bananas go dark, I put them in a ziplock, label “banana” and date it. It’s amazing how fast frozen food in a baggie is no longer identifiable. I do this with pineapple when it’s on sale so I have it all year for my green smoothies.

Milk. The best secret is freezing gallons of milk. Open the cap and pour out about 3/4 cup so there’s room for the milk to expand. Put in the fridge a few days before you need it and it will taste exactly the same, actually, it’s better when there are a few icy slivers of milk keeping it super cold. This is especially handy if your kids go through a lot of milk and you don’t want to run to the store every time it runs out.

Bread. Throw sliced loaves of bread, from whole wheat to sourdough in the freezer. Sometimes we keep the current loaf in there and just toast it as we use it. Perfect. Plus, it retains the freshness of the day it was frozen.

Beans and Rice. If you cook beans or rice in big batches, part can be put in the fridge and the rest can be frozen. Thaw in fridge. If you have left over pasta, pour sauce over it and freeze the whole thing. It can be heated up in the microwave like a 1985 TV dinner.

There is a Rainbow and Productivity Around the Corner

You know what happens to motivated people when they’re cooped up, can’t travel and can’t spend money? They bust out and want to make something, implement a new idea, innovate, spend, shop, travel!

After we get over our shell shock of one of the most concerning and impactful events in our lifetime (I’d argue that this has had a greater impact on our day to day lives than even 9/11–the goal there was to keep moving, not let them win!), we will dust ourselves off, notice that Spring is here, Summer is around the corner and we’re ready to DO, BE, PLAY! The markets will bounce back, we’ll get back to fighting about the election and values will be prioritized in the right order again!

Know that I’m thinking about all my fiscal girls out there! We’re one and we’re going to be on fire! xo, tricia