This morning during our weekly work conference call, I looked outside the window by my new workstation (my kitchen table) and noticed all the new growth on trees and bushes outside. Some of the trees through the woods behind my house are still bare and showing no signs of waking from their winter nap. The early risers are covered in blooms in vivid colors, giving hope that all the trees will soon be in full foliage. I thought about this season we are in emotionally with uncertainty in our jobs and how we are doing our work.
Our economy has taken a terrible hit with the stock market plunge. Our children are home while schools, and most non-essential businesses, are closed, and we don’t wander too far outdoors, as we have been instructed the safest conditions for our families are inside our homes. While having schools out and having children home is fun for a little while, not being able to carry on with a normal schedule can be stressful.
To reduce stress levels, we often have to change our outlook and be mindful of how to change our reactions to this unprecedented time. One thing is to keep a sense of normalcy to our lives. While it is inviting to work in our pajamas and to sleep later, to keep us focused while working from home, we can continue with normal daily routines. Get up, shower and dress for the day. Make the beds. Make coffee and have breakfast as a family.
Encourage each other, especially children. Children will pick up on negativity. Try to use positive words and capture the negative thoughts that enter your mind. Help children with home school assignments, and provide opportunities to be crafty or bake a healthy snack. Try starting plants from seeds that children can later add to a bucket or small garden.
Go for walks outdoors and play games in the yard. Find adults to talk with by phone, and check on elderly in your family or in your neighborhood. Groceries left on their porch would be a welcome surprise.
These times won’t last like winter doesn’t last. Much like the budding trees after a long winter, we will also move from these darker times to new see new growth.
