Dr. Katerina Athanasiou

#menospiti is certainly not an easy task. You face everything you want to avoid within the house: communication issues with your spouse, demanding children, demanding parents, office work with deadlines, messy rooms, stocking up on essentials, and so much more. All the things some of us avoid with busy work, constant outings, and an overloaded schedule. Oh yes! You know exactly what I mean…

However, #menospiti today is a necessary phase, with the condition that we all communicate and cooperate to avoid the worst.

SOME IDEAS TO MAKE THE #MENOSPITI EXPERIENCE BETTER

• Opportunity to tidy up. This wardrobe I keep saying I will clean out. The storage that’s been accumulating useless items for centuries. Clear out and throw away things you know you no longer use.
• Prioritize and complete pending tasks (D priority tasks—those that are not urgent or important but things you want to do). Read those books you’ve had on your shelf for months, making the nightstand look like a paperweight. Watch the movies you’ve always wanted to see but never found the time for.
• Organize the endless photos on your computer by date or location. It’s a time-consuming task you never have time for. Share the best ones on social media instantly!
• If you have children at home, make use of “quality time” with them. Play board games, cook together, relax by making a family song list. You can also make funny videos or take silly pictures to remember these days…
• “La vita e bella” Don’t lose your sense of humor! Remember how Roberto Benigni in the movie tricked his children, who were in a concentration camp? He presented the whole tragic situation as a “game.” Use your imagination and find creative ways to explain the situation to your children. Fight the “Ghost of Coronavirus” together! Set rules that earn points, such as: “whoever touches grandma or grandpa loses 50 points,” “whoever sneezes without a tissue loses 100 points!” Creativity, humor, and good mood are key!
• Don’t drain your wallet or the supermarket shelves! Get the basics and be creative in cooking. Organize a cooking contest. Divide into teams and present your unique take on pancakes, salads, pasta, or anything you like with the same ingredients in each team. Don’t forget to award points and give an immediate reward (e.g., the winning team gets a massage from the other team or a dishwashing day off).
• Human relationships evolve, but that doesn’t mean they stop. Find ways to show you care. A photo, a sweet or funny message, or a phone call expresses your presence even if you’re not physically close to someone you love and care about.
• Include rest in your schedule. Staying home doesn’t mean resting. Do a 5-10 minute gratitude or calm meditation. Alternatively, close your eyes for 10 minutes (power nap), even as a work break. You now have no excuse not to do it. You’ll see how it can change your day.
• Thanks to the coronavirus, we’ve all learned to follow basic hygiene rules we should have always kept. Different clothes for home and outside. Proper handwashing. No sneezing in others’ faces—always with a tissue or in your elbow, frequent cleanliness, etc. These habits should stay in our lives.
• Time for introspection. Thinking about what I want to do in my life requires time and calm. Perhaps now is the time to reflect on what you want to change or accept in your life. What do I enjoy in my life? What would I like to change about myself? What’s working really well in my life today? What would I like to improve? How can I become better in a specific area I want to focus on?

If you need additional help, don’t hesitate to seek online counseling for whatever is troubling you.

Remember, this is a temporary situation, and it’s up to us to keep it that way.

Stay inside for as long as needed. Stay safe and strong, with a positive attitude and patience!

With love,
Katerina Athanasiou