Have you hit the “I don’t even know what day of the week it is,” stage yet?
Maybe you’ve binged Tiger King and are over the millions of memes. Whatever you want to call the unprecedented experience we’re living in now, one thing is for sure: none of us were prepared to spend all day every day in the same house with the same people for this long. You’re probably wearing a lot of different hats just to get through the day and that can be really stressful!
So, we wanted to do something helpful for you and offer a few ways that you can de-stress during this crazy time.
Set up a video chat with your kids’ friends.
We’re serious. Do a “favorite things night” like a show and tell kind of thing and let the kids show them off to their friends while you go to the other end of the house and enjoy the peace and quiet. If you have a partner, even better because they can be in charge for a bit. It’ll be a joyful respite for the kids and you can not have little people climbing all over you.
Make something fun to eat.
You have been health conscious about how your family eats and you’ve been making sure that they don’t go overboard with the sweet stuff, but tell me you haven’t looked longingly at that quart of butter pecan ice cream when you’ve been out shopping for groceries in your nitrile gloves and that old dust mask from the garage.
Make some cookies… buy that ice cream… better yet, task the kids with making a sweet treat to share with the family as their “daily chore.” Treat yourself, Mama! You don’t even have to share… just wait until the kids are in bed, and you’re golden. 😜
Try meditating or journaling.
If your kids are old enough to sit quietly and do their online coursework (we know, we know), then try out a meditation app on the mobile app store of your choice. Beware, though, there are a lot of these that are really expensive. If that’s not your cup of tea, then get out a notebook and start journaling. One of the most helpful exercises you can try is to draw a line down the center of the page. On the left-hand side, write down all the stuff you cannot control this lockdown. On the right side, all the stuff you can control. Give yourself five minutes to look over the left-hand side, worry about it, and feel anxious. Then, tell yourself there’s nothing you can do about those things and use the right side to do #4.
Make a daily routine plan.
For the most part, you can control what you do every day. Write down wake up times and bedtimes. Mealtimes and bathing times. Schedule some time out in the back yard or on the balcony of your apartment. Write in some fun stuff to do. It will help your mental state. Even POWs during the Vietnam war controlled what they could of their time and did exercises at certain times of the day. You should do the same thing. Which leads us to the last bit of advice…
Exercise.
There are tons of videos on YouTube for workouts at home that don’t require weights or any other special equipment. There are yoga videos, bodyweight videos, and even ballet or other dance videos you could use to work up a sweat. Staying active will not only help your body, but it will also help your state of mind as well.
Trust Jerry– a walk is never a bad idea! Grab your favorite sunnies and get some fresh air!
We’re rooting for you, Mama! We know if anybody can stay sane and keep things moving, it’s you!
CARTER & HIGGINS ORTHODONTICS
More Than Just Braces and Invisalign in Tulsa
Our practice isn’t what you might expect from an orthodontic office. It’s not just about braces and Invisalign or seeing as many patients as possible.
We like to go at a slower pace here. By taking our time during each appointment, we know that each patient is getting very high-quality treatment — from the minor aesthetic details that we fuss over to the bigger picture. We make sure that every detail is covered so the patient finishes treatment with a beautiful smile.
More than that, though, we hope that our patients leave feeling like they have a wider support network and knowing that we really believe in them. That’s important to us.
