Ok, this is not a drill people, I need all hands on deck!! Today was the first day of back to school virtual learning + it is off to a very bumpy start. So much so that I found myself tightly wound by 11am.
From the tech issues, to the extreme micromanagement down to the city deciding today was the day to work on the street behind my house. There was alot that didnt go as planned. Honestly I dont know that any amount of planning could have prepared us for how things would/could go today.
2020 has given us alot of lessons. One of the biggest lessons is to prepare for the worst. While I am more than certain that todays experience is not the WORST, I kinda hope it is. Because it really wasn’t THAT bad.
One thing that I am sure of is while we continue to navigate the “new normal”, there will be more bumps in the road. Thats just how it will be. The good news is there are a few things that I did midday at the height of my building frustrations that helped me relax and put things in perspective.
What I did
- Get outside. Getting outside + getting some fresh air not only gives you a chance to stretch your legs, but gives you a change in scenery. I sat in my car for 20 min today. I dont regret it + it made a world of difference.
- Body Check + Deep Breathing. Take a deep breath in, hold for a moment + open mouth exhale. On the next inhale, close the eyes, unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders. Open mouth exhale. Take in as many deep breaths needed to give your body a moment to connect with your mind. While sitting outside I set my timer for 10 min + just sat there breathing deep listening to nature.
- Nourish. Making sure that you fuel your body with the things that nourishes you verses things that make you tired. When emotions are high or things go wrong, its easy to want to reach for the snacks that give you a good feeling in the moment. Dont do that. Today I could have EASILY scarfed down some french fries and would have been happy about it. It would have made me feel good in the moment but ultimately would have made me tired in a few hours. Instead I made sure to have a yummy smoothie + salad.
- Relaxing Bath. Later this evening I will be partaking in a nice self care bath. See? Im already mentally prepping 😂 . A relaxing bath with a CBD bath bomb, my new book + a medium sized glass of Merlot. I will be lighting some candles and creating a whole mini self care vibe, because you know what? I deserve. You deserve too friend. If baths arent your thing, do what helps you relax.
In a world where it seems like we have to be everything to everyone + everything has to go right all the time, lets take a moment. A moment to remember this is a marathon + not a race. It is so very important that we are taking moments to pause + relax especially when we are feeling ourselves getting worked up. Small habits like these, recognizing when you need to reach into that self care tool box is essential to taking care of us.
Also lets give our teachers + our kids a little bit of grace during this transition to something new. We are all just trying to “keep swimming” at this point.
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