Raise your hands up if parenting through a pandemic is hard! We hear ya Warrior parents. There is little to no access to childcare, school is out, and we can't rely on grandparents or babysitters like we used to. It's just us in the middle of it all. Through thick and thin. And it's not that we weren't doing all of this before. That we could manage. It's that now we have to do it all simultaneously. You're doing conference meetings while being home with your children. You're being the school teacher and working from home. Essentially this pandemic is forcing us to wear all our hats at once. Remember when we thought busy was the hardest part about being a parent? This is a whole other ball game. So how do we crush it all? And how do we avoid burnout while doing all the things at once?
This is a marathon, not a sprint:
No matter what athletic venture you consider there is a basic formula for success. And that is stress + rest = growth. You don't have to be a seasoned parent to know that this is a hard calling. The fluctuating levels of stress is a given. But if we don't take moments to rest, if we are spread too thin, we cannot grow. It isn't rocket science that exhaustion effects our mood. We are less capable of kind and compassionate parenting when there is chance to recoup. And we do not know how long this shelter in place will last. So make time to rest. It will help you and your whole family get through this season.
Prioritize what's on your plate:
Now is not the time for Instagram worthy parenting. Life is not picture perfect. And that is okay. This is a 24/7 experience and sometimes it won't be perfectly organized or clean. Maybe today you have a lot of work that has to get. Kids get a little more lax electronics day. The only rule currently is there are no rules! So do the best you can every single day. There is nothing that says you can't catch up on a missed school work day over the weekend. Tackle the most important things first. Those things with immediate and time sensitive deadlines first. A helpful thing to keep you on track is to every morning (or the night before) list the 3 things you have to get done for the day. Nothing else on your to do get's tackled until those are done unless it's an absolute emergency. Our plates are full. We've got to prioritize, break down, and conquer. You can do this!
Count the moments, not hours:
Many of us are used to having some time to ourselves during the work day or after while the kids are in school, participating in sports or other after school activities. Now that is not the case. There aren't spare hours of solitude to look forward too. So we have to count the moments. If we focus on what we had it only breeds discontent. We have to find a way to positively reframe this new life we're living. So seek out and count the moments. Count the moments you get to yourself. Count the moments you aren't being badgered with questions. Count the moments you get to breathe. These are the moments you get to unwind, refill and just be. And they are so important. Don't let a never ending to do list steal those away from you. They should be a priority.
Keep connecting with others:
Right now it is easy to feel isolated and alone in our struggles. Everything about life is in a weird sort of limbo. It is continuing, but we're all holding out for things to go back to normal ASAP so we aren't really trying to make this new season our new normal so it's an odd place to be. We have to connect. Have video chats with the friends, and co-workers you regularly used to lean on. You are all feeling isolated and even a few moments reconnecting with those relationships or checking in can go a long ways towards filling you. Have a virtual coffee date. Take a workout class together. Thanks to technology social distancing means we are never alone so use that to your advantage. Keep connecting with those adult peers. Give yourself opportunities to appropriately vent. Those few moments invested in yourself pays dividends out to the whole family.
These are hard times, but you aren't facing them alone. Your Warrior's Way tribe is here, and still going strong. You may feel cut off from your extended family and friends, but we aren't truly. So chin up and don't forget you have to rest some to successfully grow through these stressors and come out stronger on the other side. Until then
#RaiseAWarrior
No comments:
Post a Comment