Summer is winding down for most families and the kids are headed back to school. Each year, the ritual of Back to School brings with it both excitement and a little bit of stress. This year is mostly filled with stress.
Talk to any parent at the moment and they can share with you stories of conversations they've haded with parents, teachers, family members and anyone who will listen about how to send their kids back to school amid a global pandemic. It is a stressful time no matter how you slice it.
Now that kids are making their way back into the classroom though, it is time for parents to take a deep breath and refocus on themselves for a little while. It's been six or more months that kids and parents have been under the same roof struggling to make sense of the world around us. There is room now for some self-care that otherwise hasn't been there for many months.
Here are some things you can do to take care of yourself as your kids head back to school:
1.) Meditate: It can be stressful thinking about your child being back in the classroom, but clearing your mind of some of the thoughts surrounding that will be beneficial both to you and your interactions with your kids when they get back from school.
2.) Eat better: Healthy eating can be a challenge when you're feeding the whole family all day every day, but now you have a few minutes to yourself to whip up a salad or grill a nice piece of fish to get you the nutrition your body is craving. Keeping your body fueled with good food that is nutrient rich is one of the best ways you can take care of yourself.
3.) Exercise: Time to exercise? What is that? Now you may have a little bit of extra time to exercise. Get out for a walk, ride the Peleton, or go for a swim. However you get your muscles moving and your lungs working again will be beneficial to your overall health.
Self-care is critical now more then ever. Spending some time on you now that the kids are back at school is one of the best things you can do to make sure you're taking full advantage of this time you have to yourself.
