An Open Letter on Coronavirus and this New Normal - Signed a Tired Mama
It's Tuesday, it's 3:00 pm in the afternoon, and I'm at home, as is my four year old and my husband who is an educator. Normally I'm out conducting Restore More business with clients, my husband is teaching, and my son is in school, however Covid-19 has drastically changed all of our lives in an incredibly short span of time. Here in Georgia all schools have closed with the exception of daycare facilities, and even those have limited capacity. For example my own son's school closed the Georgia Pre-K classrooms, but continued to serve Private Preschool classrooms all that means is if the program was state funded it was closed down, which puts lots of parents in a bind.
So how does one transition from working full-time as an edupreneur to a stay-at-home mom still trying to be an entrepreneur in lightning speed? Well that's a question I'm still working to figure out, while maintaining my mental wellness. It's been challenging honestly. Some days are great, and I get to put checks by my to-do list items, but most days I'm exhausted after homeschooling my son, and emotionally I have very little to give to my own work. Last week was our 8th week of social distancing, so that meant attempting to come up with new routines, activities, and learning to keep my little one on task and sheltered in.
One thing many folks are grappling with is anxiety. I’ve dealt with anxiety in the past and do a lot to manage it currently, so best believe it's been at an all-time high as of late, and understandably so. When one's world is flipped upside down and a global pandemic is reaching into your bubble, being a bit off is normal. What has helped me most is the support of my loved ones, and friends. We've been checking in more, making more video calls, and even hosting happy hours via Zoom. All of these little things go a long way to help us feel more connected, and I think in a time where we are pushing for separation to be safe we need to continue to look for innovative ways to stay close. As humans we are incredibly social creatures, yes even you introverts, so make that list of the things that bring you JOY and try to do at least 1-3 every day, it will make you smile more and your anxiety decreases over time.
Of course life hasn't stopped, rather the movement that goes with a normal life has. So one challenge I encountered this week was the loss of a dear friend, and no not to Coronavirus, but rather a heart-attack. She was resilient, hard-working, and also loving and happened to be a parent of one of my former students. In the last 24 hours I’ve had a hard time grappling with the reality that I won't be able to go to the funeral, few will. My biggest takeaway in this experience is that tomorrow still holds hope for us all and we should seek to make the time we have meaningful by showing up for others. With that being said I'm going to do whatever it takes from a distance to show up for people. So even in a time where we are all struggling, remember that some of us have it far worse than others and there is always something to be grateful for.
One thing I am grateful for that we are doing to build community is hosting Monday Night Circles. These are a unique way to bring people together to talk about how they are dealing with the pandemic. If you’d like to join us please sign up here, we’d love to have you!
