Wow. Just wow. Can you believe what’s going on in the world right now? It seems so surreal. This season of life has been a bit of struggle, as I’m sure it has been for many many others. With my husband working from home and my two kiddos home (one with distance learning), I haven’t been able to find much time to work on any business related things. I’m still trying to navigate these uncharted waters and hope to find a new work/home life balance soon. 

It all feels so overwhelming though. Those memes I’ve seen on Facebook are so true. How is one supposed to do it all? Mom, wife, teacher, business owner… yikes! How?!

In all honesty, I’m just not right now. I can’t be all of those things at once. And that’s ok. I’ve stepped back a bit from my business to let the dust settle and focus on my family first. I wasn’t one of the ones who jumped on the bandwagon of doing front porch sessions or virtual sessions. I just couldn’t/can’t. The thought of taking on one more thing is overwhelming. I’m praying to god that it doesn’t hurt me in the long run, but my family comes first and that’s just the way it is right now.

I do miss working though. Tremendously. I enjoy running my business, so this has been very taxing. Here are a few things that have helped me get through the day and find a little bit of balance…

1. Long Showers. It’s such a simple thing, maybe we’ve all taken for granted before the virus began. But I actually can’t wait to take a shower most days to just be alone for a bit. This is my time to relax & decompress (I typically take them in the evening after playing “activities coordinator” for my kids all day).

2. Getting dressed. Getting up & getting dressed everyday has helped me feel somewhat normal. No, my hair & makeup are not done most days. And yes, I’m changing from my PJs to leggings usually, but this is what I did when things were “normal”. I’ve even put on jeans from time to time and it’s kinda crazy how putting on real clothes makes you feel so much better!

3. Fresh air. When the weather cooperates, my family and I have been trying to get out and explore our town with walks. We try to pick areas where there are less people (and if we do come across anyone we stay socially distant of course). I feel like we all benefit so much from our time out with nature. There are no screens or distractions. I have my kids collect things for us to use for later craft projects. We take pics of our adventures. It’s just a time for us all to be together without worry.

4. Reading. Bedtime has always been a challenge here. I decided to pick out some books that my kids would look forward to reading to make bedtime seem a little bit more fun. I started reading the Harry Potter books with my 7 year old and so far, she’s totally engaged! She asks questions about things and it’s been enjoyable for me as well! My 4 year old has been loving the Bernstein Bears books. “Going to the Dentist” and “Going to the Doctor” are his favorites!

I feel like this time in our lives has really given us all a chance to take a good long, hard look at what’s important. It’s time to re-evaluate, re-set, adapt and find balance. We are all in different places and there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to this. My hope is that everyone is doing well, staying safe, and relishing some of the simple things in life.

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Take care friends! I hope you find your own balance during this difficult time! Thanks for reading!