It sure seems like we’re living on a “swiftly tilting planet”. We’re sheltering in place. Our children came home for Spring Vacation & never left. We’re holding meetings virtually with Zoom. And working from home with all the fun, distractions, and joy that brings.
It’s been a long 4 months or so. And who knows when things (if they ever do) will return to “normal”. Now that you’ve baked all the sourdough bread you can stand & entertained the children 24/7, it’s time for a little “me time”. Which when you’re all together all the time is a bit of a challenge, right?
I’m dusting off some “tried & true” tactics and reframing them for the 2020 Pandemic iteration.
“Done Is Better Than Perfect.”
By now, you’ve begun to realize that your house will never be “clean”. Not with children, partners, & pets all up in each other’s business ALL THE TIME! So, learn to be grateful for the small things that get done each day – forget perfection, it flew out the window back in April.
Be grateful for
- Made beds & picked up toys
- Clean counters & refrigerator handles
- Flowerbed perfection (everyone has time to weed now!)
- Another meal made from scratch that wasn’t fish sticks, chicken nuggets, or pizza!
- Time to deep clean (who am I kidding, this wasn’t very high on my list and it still isn’t) – I’m ecstatic when the floors get vacuumed!
- Board games played without break-downs & pieces flying everywhere.
- Someone taking out the trash or doing the dishes without being asked a million times
- Taking the bike rides you’ve promised the kiddos every day for years
Take the wins where you can because “Done is better than perfect.”
Go Off The Grid
Ok, once you’re done dying from laughter, hear me out. Yes, once upon a time, “going off grid” meant taking a little vacation where the electronics were turned off (or minimally used). We went places and explored nature, history, culture & visited family. And so much of that is now off the table. Or is it?
Look, I know screens of all kinds (tv, tablet, iPad, & phone) are what’s keeping your sanity. All the non-screen activities were tried & done back in May. But, we still need to re-charge without all the 24/7 media, Instagramming, Facebooking, video gaming, and binge-watching.
Camp in your backyard. Build a fort. Emphasize reading books. Ride bikes & go on hikes. The National Parks & most State Parks have now re-opened. Visit them! Seriously, what’s stopping you? Think back to your non-electronic childhood (hopefully, you had one). What did you & your family do for entertainment on a daily basis? Sure the pools are closed, but a hose & a tarp still make a good “slip & slide” even without an incline. Build a dog house, pull weeds, roll down a hill. What a perfect time to emphasize “use your imagination”, not only with our children but ourselves as well.
See The World Through A Different Lens
If 2020 hasn’t taught us this principle already, I’m not sure what will. Sure, we could focus on the negative – “stay-at-home-orders”; mask mandates; social distancing; no festivals, concerts, & family gatherings. A virus spreading across the world, riots throughout the country, divisiveness everywhere. Or we can look through another lens.
I know you think I’m going to advocate for looking at the positive & the good in everything that’s happening. And that’s not a bad place to start. But, instead, I”m advocating using art to look at things differently.
Art helps focus the creative part of our brains. Guess what happens when that different part is triggered? It helps us approach problems from a different angle. Which in turn helps us find different solutions by thinking “outside the box”.
So, whether you’re studying a little art history, learning to paint, playing the guitar, or listening to a new genre of music, art will help you view the world & its current situations in different unexpected ways. For example, anyone who’s watched Hamilton this month might see some political parallels to our own day. And what is Hamilton other than history framed in the art form of the musical?
