Working remotely has become the norm for many these days. Some days, it feels a little crowded in my house. How about yours? I love having my family around, and this has been one of the greatest consequences of COVID for me. Yet, I need space to center myself. Every time I take a stretch break or go for water, a request awaits or the noise in the next room causes me to fear I might be missing out on something.
The Challenges
Hey mom, can you fill out that lease? Mom, can I pay my tuition? Can you fill out and sign this? Do you want to do a TikTok with me? Hey mom, the dog is being so cute – did you see my Snapchat? Where is the…?
I love this and want to spend all my time being with them, but it is hard to get work done and to find the space to center myself. I also feel selfish for feeling drained and exhausted when so many others have it much worse. The guilt then comes over me, swallow it and muddle through.
Pre-COVID, we are told that these requests are short lived and seldom and we should cherish our time with them because our kids won’t be around forever. In full disclosure, my kiddos are 17-24.
But now, some combination of kids are around all the time. How do we balance it all, while also not feeling guilty? I can tell how many hours I am logging. It isn’t always pretty. I stop my watch every time I am interrupted or take a break. The breaks are double and the interruptions are often.
Giving Permission
Part of me knows that I need to savor all of this. I never thought I would have all my kids under one roof again, or a combination as some are heading back out of the nest again as restrictions lift. I will forever be thankful for this time with my family.
At the same time, I am giving myself permission to acknowledge the challenges. What is it costing our country and us personally? I am recognizing that COVID has often been two conflicting things to many of us. For some, joy for this time to slow down, and for others, frustration and sadness for the challenges.
Caring for Ourselves
We must take time to care for ourselves now. Whether we feel it yet or are still on autopilot, it has been a year with consequences not yet fully known. We are allowed to feel what we feel, without justification.
What are you doing to fill your bucket? Let’s make a list now of all the things we love to do. What energizes you?
Lately, I find myself with my laptop on my lap all hours of the day. Going forward, I will commit to shutting down at dinner time. I will put the computer away and enjoy my family and some true ME time. I’ll make a list of all the activities that I love and I’ll do a couple each week.
- Hallmark movies
- Baking with kids
- Gardening with the hubby
- Hiking with the fam
- Snuggling with my old doggie
- Hot bath and a good book…
What about you?
While I’ve only been moderately inconvenience by COVID, our household all suffered from the virus in various forms. I also recognize that it has taken an incredible toll on many in the world.
Which leads me to one final thought…
Try Reframing
How do I reframe interruptions into blessings? My kids actually want me to be in their Tik toks. That is crazy, right? My kids actually want to tell me my dog is cute, have a family Snapchat with me, and have me as a friend on their social media accounts!
I never thought I’d ever get this time with my semi adult kids, all under one roof again. That has been heavenly.
How do we reframe as leaders? How do we help others reframe? How often do we contribute to the drama and negativity in this world? There is so much.
What are we putting out there? What are we putting on social media? Check your accounts. Check your conversations. Check your attitudes. Society is so toxic. What can we do to reframe? Care for yourself and others, and when possible – see the blessing in the interruptions!
With Purpose,
Kelly