5 Steps to Thriving in Place

Like many people, when the pandemic first hit and we were told to shelter in place, I was scared. Life as we knew it, changed in an instant. My husband and I both work, and we were suddenly at home with a 2 1/2 year old and a 7 month old baby. Like most families, we have been juggling working from home with childcare. At the start of the pandemic, I struggled to find diapers in the stores and as I passed shoppers whose carts were piled high, it was hard not to think, “Do they know something that I don’t?” The “herd” mentality was in full effect. For the first 3 weeks, I comforted myself with constant baking….banana bread, blueberry muffins, blueberry crisp; until the start of week 3, when I finally decided to put on my jeans instead of my stretchy tights and realized they wouldn’t zip. Asides from just the physical weight gain, I felt the weight of the pandemic with feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, fear, and sadness. I decided that I needed to face this pandemic the same way I’ve faced the myriad of other challenges I’ve faced in my life, with a positive attitude and a sense of resilience. I needed to find a way to turn this setback into a setup for a greater comeback; a phrase I’ve heard Joel Osteen use. We all get knocked down in life, the important thing is that we learn from it, and we don’t stay down. We get back up, having learned from the challenge. When we emerge from this pandemic, we won’t go back to the same way of doing things. There will be a new normal, and it’s an opportunity for improvement.

I read an article that said we are all going through the same storm, but we aren’t all in the same boat. Some of us are facing significant financial loss, others have experienced near-death from the virus, or have already lost someone from it. Our ships are all on different journeys and weathering the same storm differently. I decided to see how I could weather this storm by becoming an improved version of myself, helping others along the way. Here are the 5 steps that I took to change my perception of the crisis and to thrive in place:  

Filling my mind with positive information – It’s easy to become inundated by negative news. It’s important to stay educated on what’s happening around us, but moderation is also important. I limit the amount of news I watch to an hour a day. Instead, I purchased several books to learn on various topics from reading autobiographies on people that have overcome great challenges, to books by Brene Brown on Rising Strong. I’ve tried to keep in mind the Serenity Prayer, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” The things I can control are how my family responds to the pandemic by following all of the protocols recommended by the government and health officials. We can control what we consume, both physically as well as mentally. During the day, while we are working, I play soothing music like Enya.  I can control trying to maintain an environment of calm, even when there are the joyful sounds of children playing.

Appreciating the small things – My husband and I use to travel frequently for work. Staying home has provided an opportunity for increased family time. My daughter frequently takes my hand in the morning and says, “Mama, wanna dance?” We often start our days with a morning dance party where she bangs on her toy piano and runs around in circles. On sunny days, we try to go outside and fly a kite and do walks around the block. I’ve also managed to finally potty train my daughter, which we celebrated with an ice cream and gummy bear party.  

Improving health – What we feed our bodies, fuels our mind and when we feel good about ourselves, it makes it easier to have a positive perspective on what’s going on around us. The first step I took was to improve my diet. I significantly reduced my sugar intake, swapping comfort foods for nutritious smoothies, vegetables, and lean proteins. The occasional glass of wine was swapped for a glass of sparkling water with lime. I kept a food journal and made an appointment with a nutritionist to find areas for improvement. When you write down what you’re eating, it keeps you accountable. I started working out 5 days a week, going for long runs, riding the spin bike, or doing circuits with jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups etc. By week 2, I started to feel stronger, and have more energy.

Thriving in a new routine – It took me several weeks to create a new routine, but I’ve found that having a plan for the day is key to helping me feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. I use the time when the kids are napping to work out, organize healthy meals for dinner, and get caught up on work and conference calls.

Helping others – Since we are all weathering this storm in different boats, I tried to think of ways that I could help others. I started by looking immediately around me and help my neighbors. I now order groceries on a weekly basis for my elderly neighbor so that she doesn’t have to go to the store. We also get take-out dinner from our favorite restaurants on a weekly basis, to help provide our support.

Whatever journey your ship is on, I have faith that we will come out of this storm more empathetic, compassionate, and united. This is an opportunity to focus on our health, our families, and find a new appreciation for the little things. Let’s use this storm as an opportunity for improvement and as a stepping stone to a greater comeback. ~