Back to Basics

When things feel overwhelming, it’s time to get back to the basics.  I want to offer some encouragement for the months ahead. If you imagine us all running a 2020 marathon, we are just about 2/3 of the way through. And we are feeling it. Big time.

Parents and students are gearing up for the weirdest school year yet. Every school in our locality has different schedules of operation this fall – some have moved to completely virtual learning, some have adopted a hybrid schedule of virtual and in-person, and some are going back five days a week with lots of policy changes and safety accommodations.  Some schools have reduced class sizes. Some localities with virtual schooling have parents joining up into pods to share the virtual education workload. Amidst all the variation of schedules and practices, the coronavirus pandemic is hardly over.

There’s also widespread parenting exhaustion setting in. Rules and structure have softened and many youngsters are making their own rules – bedtime, screen time, and eating habits have all altered as a result of the strange and desperate times. Most kids have been home since March with no school, no camps, cancelled trips, and probably few or no playdates. Most of the teens I interact with have slipped into a nocturnal existence, staying up all night and sleeping for most of the day. Even the 8-12 year olds seem to have much later bedtimes and are sleeping in because the summer schedule has been off during this summer of Covid craziness.

And parents are T-I-R-E-D. Fatigue is setting in; hence the loosened rules and limits. Parents are in self-preservation mode – get time for yourself wherever and however you can.

The rest of 2020 is looming and much is unknown. Getting back to basics is essential for our mental health and wellbeing. Below are a few tips to remember:

Prioritize self-care.

With all the stretching, bending, adapting, and “making-it-work” that we have all been doing, it may be easy to lose sight of this one basic essential need: taking care of ourselves. What helps you feel soothed and cared for? Whether it is curling up with a good book before bed, taking an evening bath, daily exercise, meditating, or connecting with loved ones, identify what keeps you mentally, emotionally, and physically well and practice it like your life depends on it. Schedule it into your day like an appointment with yourself that you wouldn’t dare break.

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

This final leg of 2020 is not the time to overextend yourself –that can wait until next year. Instead, do only what must be done. We are talking essentials here. Show up for work the best you can. Be present for your family. Spend time in nature enjoying the simple things. One of the bright spots that I have observed in this pandemic is the increased appreciation for our natural resources like rivers, lakes, and forests. Greenways and hiking trails have received more foot traffic. I live near the Roanoke River and one my of favorite summer past times has been walking along the river where some local youngsters got creative with all the pools closed. They built a wood platform off of a tree complete with rope swing to create a good old fashioned swimmin’ hole. It is the simple joys in life and now is a great time to appreciate them.

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Conserve.

Conserve your energy and resources where you can. Streamline your commitments. If you are used to expending energy in high amounts, consider reigning it in for a few months. One of my colleagues who is used to seeing 50 clients in a week has whittled her schedule down to 35.  If your fall calendar is usually jam-packed with commitments, consider where you can trim the fat and keep only the essentials.

Nourish and rest.

Sleep and nourishment are so important in times of stress. When our cortisol levels rise and stay elevated, we are more prone to infections, viruses, and other illnesses. An essential component of self-care is giving yourself nutrient-dense foods and hydrating beverages. If you are prone to stress-eating potato chips, find a healthy alternative to swap in. My most recent swap has been eating a couple apples in a day. The fuel we give ourselves, in addition to getting ample rest, affects our outlook, our mental state, and our stamina. We are in the last third of a pretty epic metaphorical marathon – give your body what it needs to function at its best.

Take media breaks.

You heard it – take a break from the inundation of media in all forms. Take a full day off. If that seems too extreme, limit your media intake to 15-30 minutes. The constant influx of media affects – you guessed it – our cortisol levels. Depending on what is happening in the world it may also impact our mental health and even perpetuate trauma responses. Be mindful of your media intake just as you would be mindful of your nutritional intake.

Keep moving.

We are all aware that exercise is good for our health, but even more simply…. MOVE. Shake, dance, walk, twirl, shuffle, skip, jump, or heck, do the running man. Just get yourself moving. Moving our bodies keeps our energy moving, our minds energized, and our ideas flowing. Moving around helps prevent stagnation in all forms.

One of my greatest gratitudes of this pandemic is a purely happenstance situation that helped my husband and I get serious about moving our bodies and reclaiming our health. Our neighbor’s son, his wife, and baby fled NYC when the pandemic hit in March and came to stay next door for about 5 months. Lo and behold, we suddenly had a highly successful fitness trainer / entrepreneur and osteopathic doctor / health expert living next door to us. We’ve been fortunate to begin a steady workout routine using hardly any equipment beyond what our backyard already affords us – grassy hills, rings on the swing set, and platforms to jump on. We purchased one amazing, multi-purpose piece of equipment called The Axle and now making progress toward our fitness goals is more accessible than ever. If you’re interested - Axle workouts with Andrew Page and his team can be accessed through the Axle Workout app.

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More opportunities to move: I’m offering two virtual Qoya classes in the next month – check them out if you’d like to move with me to remember our essence as wise, wild, and free. Qoya is the most therapeutic movement practice in my life and I’d love to share it with you.

 

All in all, 2020 has felt like a gigantic, global test of adaptability. It’s not over yet. Give yourself permission to do things a little differently than you may be used to. Practice exquisite self-care, keep moving, but also get ample rest. Above all… hang in there, friends. We’ve got this.

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