See the Forest before the Burn Out
We all have heard the expression, “see the forest for the trees”. Webster dictionary defines the phrase as seeing the bigger picture and not getting lost in the details. Right now we really need to look at how to take care of our mental well-being and see the forest before the burn out.
In a time where we are stretched incredibly thin our ability to navigate emotions becomes much more difficult. There are even less opportunities to take care of ourselves than before COVID-19 and instead of leaning into the expectations of how much you would like to get done in a day I encourage you to lean out.
Lean out in a way that sets boundaries to support your mental stability.
We were never supposed to be working full time, watch our children full time, navigate the emotions of a pandemic, and somehow homeschool on top of two full time jobs. So, lean out to the notion that you can do that; it’s not possible.
Lean into the notion of what you can do which is what works for your family and by the way there is no one size that fits all here.
Every working family is different, and your challenges are your challenges; they should be honored not compared to others. There is so many scenarios around the world that can feel like your challenges are not worth the emotions you are having and it’s good to have empathy but it’s not good to feel like your realities are not worthy of what you are experiencing.
As we settle into week four of however long we will be navigating this pandemic our mental health really must rise to the top in terms of importance. We have been pushing through to meet demands of supporting our families and if our mental wellbeing hasn’t already been at the top it really needs to be.
This experience has created a lot of comparisons to what is felt in the newborn phase. All of sudden you are in full service of another human being lacking an incredible amount of sleep and not seeing any glimpses of who you once were. Just as when you were in that stage of caring for a brand-new baby it’s important to find small breaks. I encourage you to look at things that brought you joy in your routine before our world changed. Remind yourself of the things that supported your emotions and provide space for them. If it is alone time you miss and that’s not possible maybe try strapping the kids in the car for an hour drive with snacks while they listen to their favorite songs and you listen to a podcast with your ear buds.
My point is don’t forget about your needs mama because if they are not somehow uniquely met you will be approaching burn out soon. You are incredibly important, and your needs are the crucial piece to the puzzle.