The winter months are typically slower for my business. I often use this time for self-education, reviewing my goals for the upcoming year, I also schedule a few newsletters in advance. But this winter has been truly been one for the ages. We had home repairs that made my house SUCH A MESS! There was dust and mud everywhere! Then I got sick 😷. It started with the flu which turned into Pneumonia. I also got this crazy idea that I wanted to go back to work to add to my income streams and help offset the lack of as a lack of business income.
So things finally started to look up. I got better, the work in the house was completed and I found a job that I love and also fits the schedule I wanted.
Then we get hit with the a Global Pandemic.
The COVID-19 virus hit which closed many schools and business. My kids will be home for at least 2 weeks. Here’s the thing about this situation. While it has caused a massive disruption to my family as I’m sure it has to yours, but it doesn’t have to that way. There are SO MANY things that we can do to ease the stress and overwhelming apocalyptic feelings many are experiencing right now.
I NEVER want to displace someone’s feelings or diminish what and how you deal with things. My goal is to offer some ideas on how to cope with some of the stress. The Government has recommended that one way to lessen the spread of COVID-19 is to limit all communal gatherings. With the temporary closures of malls, play parks and any place that encourages large groups of people.
With that I want to share some ideas that I came up with to help you deal with the next few days of craziness.
- In home yoga sessions. – YouTube has some great videos for whatever yogi level you may be.
- Deep clean you house.- It’s Spring and depending on the area of the country you live in you may be able to get away with opening your windows and doors to let in some fresh air.
- Go for a walk- NOT A GROUP WALK, but even a short 20-30 minute walk in your hood will help you feel better mentally.
- Get caught up on reading. Amazon Unlimited gives you access to 1000’s of books for about $10 a month. Many free libraries have e-books you can borrow too, just go online and sign out the books you want.
I’ve elected to use this time to deep clean my home and get caught up on my reading. See as my kids have gotten older I find that I want to learn more and more about this age group. I decided an audio book would be the best way to go so I went down that rabbit hole called Audible. After some time I found Untangled in my Audible store and after reading the reviews I knew it was something I wanted to read. It’s an insightful book about the inner workings of tween and teen girls but much of the advice can be used towards understanding your sons as well. What sold me on the book Untangled was one review by a father that confirmed this was the information I was looking for. Without sharing any spoilers I will say that this book, written by a Doctor who is also a MOTHER, is absolutely amazing. It’s tone is gentle, sometimes a bit humorous and it’s also very informative.
So what happens when you’re tired of reading? Well since many schools have updated websites and have an academic Plan B in place, try giving your kiddo time outside to do school work, play and run. You can also opt for a picnic and take a few books to read, if you think this is an that they might be open to!
I wish you the best mental health during these uncertain times
Wanda
