1) Take deep breaths. A lot of them.
It has been super hard in all this to find calm and peace. In my house there are five other people and one dog. It’s loud, crazy, and there is always something happening. I imagine that for most people, regardless of how many people or animals live in their houses, there is a lot of crazy and unknown. Seemingly unending Zoom calls, grocery shortages, bills due, canceled trips, and work schedules shifting around. There isn’t always a solution for these problems and swallowing that isn’t easy. Sometimes the only answer is that we have to take a deep breath and move on.
2) Go to bed at some point.
Who am I to tell you when? It is probably best to go to bed early and get up early, but you know what that isn’t always the case. Maybe you want to stay up and watch a show you cannot watch when all your kids are awake. Maybe you are exhausted and need to climb into bed at 8pm. At some point, go to bed.
3) Enter the Outside.
Even if it is just your front steps or backyard, go outside. Use a couple of those deep breaths outside. It helps. I am sure there are medical and scientific reasons behind why it helps but I don’t really know them. I do know that on the days that I hide inside I feel worse mentally. I think because even now the walk into the grocery store is filtered through a mask life feels suffocating somedays. Go outside and feel the sun or rain or wind, even if it’s for only a few minutes.
4) Use your TV.
I mean it. Find something to watch. Let your kids watch. Take a day and blow it on movies or shows. Watch something useful that will expand your mind, inspire you, and motivate you. Watch your old favorites again and again. Watch stupid reality TV. Why? Because some of these days are too hard and too full and we need breaks. It has been hard to accept and process all the happenings in the world right now. There are just days I need to just turn off and watch The Office because it makes me laugh and smile.
5) Accept Chaos.
There is no way to predict the future. I was watching a reality show about a family with my teens the other night. The end of the episode was set in March. It was humorous how much everyone talked about how everything would be fine in a couple weeks and return to normal. The three of us laugh because what else could we do? March 12th was the last day of “normal” for my family and we all thought that in a few weeks things would settle. Nothing has settled and we haven’t even really settled into a “new normal” because everything changes constantly. So instead of settling into a new rhythm I’ve tried to settle into the chaos.