This pandemic has been rough on everyone. I have had close family members who caught the virus, and some are currently fighting it. Some have lost the battle, whereas others are recovering well now. There are many conspiracy theorists out there who continue to spread rumors about the virus. Be it man-made or not, we have to do our part to make sure we and everyone around us are safe.
I am not going to lie; I actually started to get anxiety and panic attacks from staying home for months without going out. It felt as though I lost all my social skills. My seasonal depression during the winter hit worse too. It is not easy to feel normal, but I have been trying.
When I get anxious, I try to shoot a text or call siblings or friends. It feels great to know everyone is as miserable as I am. The pandemic has given me the time to stay connected to a lot of people. So in a way, it is a blessing.
Life was going so fast, and it was so busy before the pandemic. Now, I had the time to start contemplating my life and how to bring about positive change. I have been working on finding the little good in every bad. I began to change my habits and focus on more important things. I realized I would always worry about other people’s thoughts, which consumed most of my life. I was never myself, and so I decided to work on being an authentic me.
Often times, I found myself dreaming about what I could’ve changed if I could go back in the past. I would make myself feel really sad, and a cloud of regret would hover over me. I stopped doing that. Now, I live in the moment, so I don’t want to look back and regret not living my current present moment in the future.
I am taking the free time that I am getting to become better at time management and planning. I also changed my priorities. I am giving my children the much-needed attention they need from me, and I am also learning to enjoy their tantrums, screams, cries, laughs, and everything else. In a few years, they won’t be clingy anymore. So, I am just trying to live in the moment.
Here’s a glimpse of my changes:
- Reading self-improvement books at least for 20 minutes a day by setting a timer on my phone.
- Meditating for 30 minutes to get away from all the stress. You have no idea how much this helps. Always take out some time just for yourself, even if it is 5 minutes. Trust me; you need it!
- Reorganizing my study space and keeping it neat and tidy.
- Making a rough plan for the day ahead of time. But don’t hold to any expectations because that leads to disappointments.
- Doing things that I want to and not worrying about other people’s opinions or thoughts.
- Mastering the art of saying NO! I realized being too nice isn’t always good. Some people love to take advantage of your niceness. Know your limits.
- Trying to be consistent with my blog posts and my podcast.
- Limiting the use of social media and being more productive.
We, as humans always evolve in our behavior. I want to make sure that I evolve positively so my children and those around me can learn from me. Life is too short to be sticking around negative energy all the time. It’s not worth it. The only way you can change that is by starting to think positively. This line is a bit cliché, but the change truly starts with you!
The Studious Mom 