We are all going through tough times here, some tougher than others. I'm pretty sure we are going on week 7 of quarantine here in New York. It has gotten to the point I honestly don't remember. Our weeks are filled with working from home and teaching our boys and dealing with the constant emotional rollercoaster of everything around us. Your mindset during this time matters more than you may realize. The first few weeks of this new normal I spent sleeping until my boys woke me up, around 7. I would then get out of bed already on the defensive, fielding a ton of questions and requests before I had a cup of coffee, which for me does not end well! lol I would stumble through the morning trying to communicate with my own students and teach my boys and figure out meals and work outs and play time that my head seriously just spun. I was in a bad mood most of the time and found I was snapping at everything.
As the first few weeks went by I realized I couldn't continue like this. Playing catch up did not set my mind up for success every day. So I knew I had to shift my thinking. Was sleeping until 7 amazing? Yep! But would getting up at 6:30 make that much of a difference? Probably not. So thats what I started doing. I started getting up 30 minutes before anyone else in the house. I made coffee and drank it while prepping my day. By the time everyone was up I had a whole schedule. I knew what was on the menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I knew what work my 5 year old needed to complete for kindergarten for the day. I knew what work I was going to be assigning my own students. I knew when workouts would happen and what fun activities we could do based on the weather.
It is amazing what that tiny shift really did. After the first few days I noticed a change in my mood. I definitely felt less stressed, I started eating better, and honestly just felt better to handle hard situations. If you are feeling this way try and find a way to get ahead of the chaos, as I like to call it. Make sure you are setting yourself up for success, it might only take one small action to make it happen!
Be Strong!
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