Living in the ever-expanding epi-center of the coronavirus, our way of life today compared to only a few weeks ago has many of us hanging on as if we were riding the newest, biggest, scariest roller coaster ever created.
From fashionable face masks to waving to family members from front porches, life is just plain weird. Not to mention the mind-boggling fluidity with which I run through emotions on a daily basis.
The fascinating part is that despite things feeling scary, overwhelming, and out of control, there are things we can do to begin feeling like we have some semblance of control. We actually have more than we realize, and we’re not as helpless as we may think.
If we commit to making only a few small changes in either the way we think or the way we behave, we can begin to bring a little more certainty to an otherwise uncertain situation.
1. Drop the mom guilt, dad guilt, parent guilt, or whichever kind you’re rolling thick with like it’s viral-ridden hot!
This is absolutely the first thing you need to do. This is not the time to come down on yourself for not being the parent who has figured out how to homeschool, work, and be a regular old parent during a pandemic. It’s time to lower expectations and give yourself some serious wiggle room. What that looks or sounds like is something along these lines:
Bye kids, going on the Peloton for an hour to decompress. Get working on those math problems. Zoom your teacher with any questions as I am unavailable for frustrating encounters with you right now!
Or, Lunch is in the fridge, enjoy your iPad while I go and recover from this horrible morning of homeschooling with some deep breathing!
And then you go and do the thing that will help get you back to neutral, guilt-free. Honestly, harboring feelings of not doing it right, feeling constantly overwhelmed, and worrying that your kids will come out of this pandemic as zombies with devices permanently attached to their appendages is not helping anyone, especially you!
Do not let a day go by where you don’t check in with yourself and take a breather if you need it.
2. Control what you consume. From social media posts to news articles to shows, control how much you take in, and in what form.
If you want to get your daily dose of news, pick a source that isn’t about fear-mongering, like theSkimm or Morning Brew, which gives you what you need to know without all the scare tactics.
Laughter is always the best medicine, and I’m up to my ears in funny memes, inspiring stories, and snippets of hilarious Tick Toks because my brain works better when I keep things light, funny, and motivating.
A good rule of thumb is to read or watch something inspiring every day. This keeps your spirits afloat and that little light within constantly shining. Don’t let it dim…fan that flame with laugher as many times as possible in a day.
3. Invest time in learning something new – anything!
Want to know why 20 seconds is the necessary amount of time to wash your hands? Or why we don’t throw our trash into volcanoes? Or why we have leap years? There is an overabundance of interesting information out there, and now is the time to take advantage. TedEd has a slew of informative and bite-sized videos covering a wide array of topics for you and your kids to learn from. (I’ve added a video a day into each of my kid’s homeschooling).
Knowledge is power, and perhaps for the first time as parents, we have a break from chauffeuring our kids to a million different events and activities, allowing us the time to invest in ourselves and perhaps find a new hobby. (Crazy, I know!)
It’s hard for us to slow down, adjust, and carry on with life, but discovering a few small ways that can help you cope a little better will help you get through the rough moments. Be kind to yourself and give yourself a break when you need it. It’s in those moments you build back up your reserves so you can get back to neutral.
Stay safe, stay healthy!
