Pandemic Predicament

Welcome to my blog!

Kudos to all you brave people going through covid-19 lockdown! Some mammas like me are struggling to find a routine and some semblance of structure. In addition to being a mother, were also playing the role of teacher/tutor and the maintenance crew. As conscientious mothers we take on too much. 

So I’d like to share some tips on how I manage my time between the ‘must-do’ and fun activities. I strive to follow a basic routine everyday but not everyday is my best.

1 – Plan your day ahead – I like to plan. Simple old fashioned lists and goals. So I write down three activities that will ‘move the needle’ for you today. The Big 3. No more than 3. At times even one may be enough! Living in a lockdown means we have more time to do things. Instead of trying to cram more in a day, I make a conscious choice to pace the activities out. This also makes them more enjoyable and relaxing while giving a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. 

2 – Include a fun activity with family once or twice a week. They seem like too much work to plan but children’s energy is infectious and it’s hard not to have fun when you let them run the show for a change and their creativity always takes me by surprise! Past week we went exploring in our backyard for what kind of shrubs and plants grew there. 

3 – Cook lunch/dinner in large quantities so you can use leftovers for lunch next day – This eliminated the need for me cooking for 3 meals a day. I’m not a ‘weekend batch cooking’ person so this comes as close to meal prepping in bulk. As a plus, the dishes taste even better as the flavours have more time to develop. A picture of our staple dish – chicken curry from my thermomix! Check out my Instagram page for inspiration https://www.instagram.com/thermomasala/?hl=en

4 – Make your weekends useless – Yes, you read that right – useless! When the lockdown started in July I decided to launch into a frenzy of activity packed day. That quickly descended as I had given myself too much to do. I was filling, not only my weekdays, but weekends what I ‘should’ be doing rather than what made me happy.

Out of frustration from the monotony of routine, I suspended all the ‘must-do’ tasks for a day and spend the day working on my latest knitting project & binge watching Netflix and it felt great! Nothing like a guilt free & hobby happy weekend to rejuvenate yourself (and your family)

5 – I make time for a workout at least 5 days a week mixing up running, weight training and yoga to keep it interesting. Not only does it keep the weight off but also help vent the stress and anxiety in a healthy way. 

I hope these tips help you in some way and I look forward to hearing your coping strategies in the comments below.

Stay positive!

Preeti