Have you read all of these posts that encourage you to be productive through this quarantine? I’ve seen so many posts that say that you should come out of this with a new skill or a business among other things. I’m keeping my expectations in check during this time. This isn’t anything that we’ve lived through before so we can’t really say what we should expect to come out of this with. The goal for me is to come out of this healthy. That’s it, that’s the goal.
Admittedly, when we first started this lockdown, I thought I’d be pretty productive. I figured I’d homeschool the kids and still have time to get some of my own things off the ground since we wouldn’t be running around like usual. Pretty quickly, it became clear to me that the kids would be out of school for the rest of the school year. As I settled into the new routine, I realized I was busier than ever. It’s about more than managing virtual learning and activities. Managing my kids emotions and security is huge! This is such a drastic change for them and it happened almost over night.
In trying to navigate their feelings, I’m also trying to make sure I’m doing enough for my mom who moved here from across the country to be near us in November. Now, we’re separated because of a virus. My dad who was supposed to be trying to join my mom here in the Spring, is still in the Detroit area. You know, a hot spot in this pandemic. We have other family members who are really high risk as well. It’s all incredibly stressful.
I’m trying to manage my own emotions as we navigate this. So, there are a few things that I will be doing during quarantine to help me manage my stress and be well. I’ve set some super simple expectations for myself. Anything else that comes out of this is a bonus.
Move
I’m committed to not just sitting on my butt this whole time. I run around the house all the time anyway because there’s no shortage of things to do around here. Still, I’ve been committed to working out everyday. The boost it gives me is so necessary. I bring all my stress and worries to my workouts and really just try to release and sweat it out. My mom makes sure she goes for a walk about a half hour everyday to get her heart rate up and to just get out safely.
Get Fresh Air
Speaking of getting out for a walk, getting some fresh air is so needed! Even if I just step out in the backyard or sit out there and do some writing, I really try to make sure I get my dose of natural vitamin D and fresh air. We also keep some windows open around here to keep fresh air moving through the house.
Hydrate
On thing I noticed I was slipping on is my water drinking. I had to make it a point to remember to drink up. I think I’ve just had my brain filled with so many other things that I was slipping up on that. We all know the benefits of water and how much we need it. Make sure you’re drinking up while locked down.
Set Some Goals
It can be hard to feel like we’re accomplishing much if we’re not out doing stuff. Setting some goals helps. It can be really small stuff. I’m not talking about setting a goal to have a book written when this is over. I’m thinking in terms of something you want to accomplish with work or do with the kids. A couple of my goals are to read a little each day and make sure I work out. A good goal to have is to write your feelings each day. It may help you process what’s going on.
