As a nation we are facing the unexpected on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Here's a few tips for moving through it with confidence.
No one could have seen this coming, so it's no wonder we are struggling to make sense of everything.
Navigating homeschooling, working from home, and living 24/7 with our families while trying to manage all the information, precautions, and emotions is hard. I have been trying to process things like: How do we do all this well? How do we help our kids when we aren't even sure how to help ourselves? What do we do with the new normal we have been thrust into? How do we learn to thrive in this season so that we don't fall into despair?
In the Haynes household we are dealing with much the same things you probably are.
We are trying to help our kids navigate the disappointment of facing an unexpected end to this season of schooling. Our daughter is facing the end to a college senior year with no graduation and increased difficulty finding meaningful work. Our son is facing an isolating end to his high school senior year which also most likely means no senior soccer season or chance for a State Championship title which his team was most assuredly expected to participate in.
My husband's job with Walgreens is overwhelming at the moment as he works to navigate supporting a team remotely, manage corporate expectations, and continue to build the program he is in charge of while contributing to and supporting his company's nation-wide involvement at the front lines of this pandemic.
My coaching business is all but stalled (thank you to my continuing clients!), I am trying to remain relevant in a season where my services could definitely help, but finances are tighter than ever and, for the first time in my life, I am faced with the possibility of days without purpose and structure.
I am sure you are facing similar, if not harder circumstances.
I have gotten sad, moved on to frustration and anger, and even had bouts of self-doubt. I feel ill-equipped: I can't fix anything or ease the pain my kids are experiencing or even make things better at the moment. I feel disappointment for myself at the loss of all the senior year events that may not all get to happen. I just want everything to go back to the way it was supposed to be.
It's enough to make any one of us shut down completely and want to hide our heads until this is all over... but I know that would be worse for me and my family in the long run, and I am sure you do too.
None of us like living like this, but there are things we can do to make the most of it.
This week I want to share with you all the ways I am developing, practicing, and using to help navigate this season of unknowns with confidence in the hope that you too will be inspired to use this time to build a more solid foundation and a clearer pathway forward.
Create a New Normal Routine. Living without our usual structure is unnerving and can lead to all sorts of negative consequences: heightened anxiety, striving for control, apathy, lethargy, and even depression. Instead of fighting to get back to the routine we used to have, grieving what we have lost, or trying to control everything, I am focused on letting go and looking around for what I CAN do to build a new routine. Daily living, working from home, and even homeschooling can be used to create a new routine that helps everyone thrive instead of nose dive. Here is a free download with 5 ways to build a new routine, including how to manage homeschooling and working from home.
Practice Healthy Self-Care. In our busy lifestyles self-care in not usually a priority. I definitely entered into this quarantine season more run down, weary, and stressed out than I should be. Maybe you might also have been living on too little sleep, getting little to no exercise, and eating food that was not the greatest. We can use this time to take care of ourselves and encourage the others in our household to as well. Our kids may have schooling, but there is plenty of time for them to play and sleep too. Working from home can have space for mental health breaks, and boredom can turn into creating amazing meals at home among other things. Here is a free download with 7 ways to build self-care into your new routine.
Look Forward. We can do nothing to change where we are today, but we can look forward to what we hope to make life look like on the other side. Looking forward, instead of back to where we used to be, can revive our hope, renew our energy, and reignite our passion. If we can reframe this season of unusual limitation as one of tremendous opportunity for change we can see benefits and overcome the obstacles. Asking questions like: "What have been the most beneficial aspects about this time and how can I keep that as part of life after this is over?" Or "How can I apply what I am learning about myself in this season to what I hope to be like in the future?" are good places to start. So too is this free download of 5 ways to work this season instead of letting it work you.
No matter what life is like for you today please try and concentrate on this fact and ask yourself this question:
This season will pass. When it does, what do you hope to say you did with the time you had?
Join the conversation:
Share your strategies for navigating this season of unknowns with confidence on my Facebook page.
Reply to this email with your questions.
Sign up for a free Strategy Session where 30 minutes of your time can lead to a plan of action to move forward in any area of your life.
Until next week!