7 things I’ve learned from the past 7 months

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a lovely morning. I’ve been cranking away on a post about tracking your cycle and how to adjust workout intensity throughout the month, and it’s taking me a bit longer than expected. Stay tuned for that one later this week. This week has been a good one so far. I took a super sweaty hot yoga class last night and we took Caro to the dog park! We haven’t been to the dog park in years – Bella was attacked at one in San Diego so we haven’t gone back – but Caroline is SO docile that she doesn’t try to compete for Alpha Dog status among the other dogs. We figured it would perk her up since she’s seemed kind of down lately. She had such a great time smelling the other dogs, trotting around, and rolling over so everyone would rub her belly.

Today’s post is kind of on the random side, and an attempt to focus on some of the rare bright spots in the past 7 months. It can be so easy to focus on the negatives, like lost opportunities, canceled events, and the inability to go places or travel freely. I feel like everyone I talk to lately feels the exact same way: overwhelmed, with a heavy heart, and just so dang exhausted. I’m really looking forward to when we come out the other side of all of this, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve either learned or was reminded of other the past 7 months. I’d love to hear anything you’ve learned or habits you’ve created that you want to continue in the future.

1. Coffee from home is better than from the coffee shop. After having coffee purely from home for months, I have to say that I prefer it now! Don’t get me wrong, I still go crazy over a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, but as far as regular ol’ decaf coffee goes, I love the one I make here at home. It has collagen, almond milk, and vanilla monk fruit and isn’t nearly as bitter as coffee shop coffee.

2. The kids can entertain themselves. When the world first turned upside down, I was like, “What the heck am I going to do to entertain these kiddos?” I was basically their cruise director, scheduling online activities, time outside, and planning something new and fun each day. I even kept a list so that we would constantly be doing new things. Around day 32, I burned out. I just didn’t have it in me, was running out of ideas, and was finally like, “Just go play with dolls or spray each other with the hose.” And they LOVED IT. The girls can easily play for hours now, drag out the art supply box, or work on a puzzle. I still plan fun things to do as a family because we enjoy it and it gives us something to look forward to, but it was freeing to let go of the pressure to constantly entertain. 

3. “Time is non-refundable, so spend it wisely.” This whole situation and losing Bella recently have been a huge reality check for me to make the most out of time and savor all of the good moments. I know I soaked up every moment I had with Bella and still feel like I would do anything to have 5 more minutes with her.

I’ve cut back on mindlessly scrolling on my phone and reading things that make me feel badly, when I could be enjoying time with the girls, reading a book I enjoy, or listening to a podcast. During the past 7 months, I started saying, “Yes” more often. Yes to baking random 3-layer cakes, jumping off cliffs into slide rock, extra books before bed, late-night movies, and endless hide and seek games because we finally have time to do all of these things. Before March hit, we had something every single day of the week after school and Sunday was the only day sans activities. I can’t wait for the girls to get back into the things they love, but it’s going to be less frequent with some built-in down time.

4. Health and relationships are all that really matter. At the end of the day, that’s really all you have. It’s not about how many *things* you acquire, how many work-related accomplishments you’ve achieved, or how much money you have saved. Focus on preserving your health and the quality of relationships. I’m thankful for the family members and friends I’ve been able to stay connected with this entire time even when we’re not physically together.

5. A whole new level of appreciation for the jobs people do to keep our society running. I’ve always been thankful to the delivery truck drivers, grocery store clerks, mail carriers, TEACHERS (omg teachers), medical professionals, first responders, etc. This whole thing has taken it to an entirely new level.

6. I don’t really need a gym to get in an awesome workout. While I definitely miss the motivational gym atmosphere – they’re finally open here again in Tucson but I haven’t made it back yet with childcare, distance learning, etc- I’ve been able to do my thang with the equipment we have at home. I’m looking into adding a treadmill to the collection; let me know if you have one you love!

7. Nature is truly healing. Time outside, pool time, and our family walks have been a gamchanger during this whole thing.

So, tell me friends: what’s something you learned or were reminded of during the past 7 months? Any habits you want to keep with you? I’m definitely going to try and stick to at least one walk a day.

xo

Gina

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