Shipshape

Busy-ness.

I have found that I need to be busy to keep mentally healthy. Not too busy, as that can put me over the edge, but fairly busy. The scary thing about shelter-in-place is that there really aren't too many painful consequences when I fail to meet goals. I've been working hard on school, and I skipped blogging for several days, which was a disappointment.

It's better for me to set achievable goals for the day and make absolutely sure I get to them. Today, it was the backyard. I swept the porch, mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, and the wife and kids apparently enjoyed the look of it so much that they spent all afternoon lounging out there. There is something very nice and satisfying about cleaning up space and enjoying it.

The rest is a battle. Bathrooms are an afterthought because I'm on the front lines. I'm staying up later than I should and setting a 7 AM alarm, an extraordinary luxury that I'd never have dreamed I'd be doing. I'm one load of dishes and laundry behind. The garage should be cleaned out by now, but it's not. Weeds are always looking for a way into the garden, and the stones in the south garden are only halfway installed. There are battles everywhere.

I keep reading that it's okay to not be hyperproductive during shelter-in-place. I should forgive myself for not getting to all those projects or having my suddenly remote teaching on point or my house spotlessly clean and full of new projects. I'm not sure if that would be healthy for me, though. I need to hold myself accountable for maintaining my mental health, keeping my brain busy, and keeping our family's ship in shipshape.

I can do this.