The most important thing for any mum to do right now is LOOK AFTER THEIR HEALTH. The person who is going to nurture them, feed them and enable them, needs to be calm, focused and energised. The mum needs to be strong, resilient and patient.
But you cannot do that if you are stressed, uncertain and just ‘waiting to see what happens’.
So are you going to be the leader and hold your family and business together?
Or are you going to crumble, ‘wait for the axe to fall’ and spend the next 6-12 months drowning in failed goals and screaming kids?
Here’s our Mums’ 10 simple guidelines to keeping sane in Isolation Living.
- DON’T TRY TO BE YOU KIDS’ TEACHER
Relieve this mum-guilt and pressure. You CANNOT expect to teacher your children 9-3 as well as do your full time job from home. The schools are working hard to put their learning online, and these techno-kids will work it out, it’s temporary and they’ll be OKAY. Truth is they will get so much value from spending an hour with you reading to them. You are their role model. You need to be the best version of you in order to help them.
- Spend QUALITY time with the family.
Teach your children that there’s ‘kids time’ and ‘mummy’s time’. Teach your children leadership and respect by setting down House Rules of when its playtime and when it’s work time. You are a GREAT mum and it is okay for you to do so. Playtime with mummy will become more special too. - USE GOOGLE CALENDAR. I repeat, use Google calendar. Allocate times to tasks.
Map out important tasks of your day and treat this schedule with respect. Set aside time to:
*answer emails/calls,
*do admin,
*exercise,
*eat (yes i’m serious!! schedule food breaks!!)
*read to kids,
*ME-TIME (could be exercise or read book) etc.
Or it’ll hit kids’ bath time and you’ll have done NOTHING for yourself. Another day will be lost to the kids’ mayhem. - LOOK THE PART or “Dress for the job you want not job you have”
To ‘GET SH*T DONE’ you need to dress for it. DO NOT stay in your PJ’s til noon. Immediately chuck on your work or work-out gear, do your hair and prep yourself as if it were a normal day at the office. To be organised you need to feel and look organised!
- Exercise outdoors for 30mins minimum daily. Listen to UPLIFTING music.
This can be a brisk walk on awakening or a 30min Weights Circuit before/after your [scheduled] lunch break. Exercising first thing in morning will set you up for a MORE productive day and actually induce MORE ENERGY! Plus Vitamin D is crucial for a strong immune system and happiness! (brain chemicals). This extra time at home can be PERFECT time to focus on yourself. Good tunes are a must. Below is our free Phase 1 Home Workout.
Day 1w/u: Tabata 20s/20s Side Shuffles over StepA1: Body Weight Squat x15A2: DB Deadlift & Press x15eaA3: Postpartum Laying Leg Raises x15A4: DB Single Arm Bent Row x15eaDay 2w/u: Tabata 30s/30s Star JumpsA1: DB Deadlift x15A2: Push Ups on Knees x15A3: Plank Knees-to-toes x15A4: DB Bent Row x15Day 3w/u: Walk/Jog around garden / street 3-5minA1: Banded Hip Thrust x15A2: Tricep Dips x15A3: Static Lunge & Powerband Row x15eaA4: Dish Hold w/ Shin Taps x60s - ZOOM call with friends or Online Coach.
At times like these you need to be held accountable for you and your family’s health, and that means staying on top of life’s stresses. Having a quality Fitness Coach or group of friends will help you stay connected and mindful, and sharing experiences can be therapeutic.
- GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA.
Stop getting stuck in the social media vortex. Listen to accredited Doctors and http://ato.gov.au for correct legal communications regarding Covid-19. There is too much negative soul-sucking media that won’t help lift your mood. Whilst social media fitness videos can be ‘motivating’ having a custom training plan will hold you accountable and in routine. You need your purpose. - DON’T hoard chocolate bars and processed snacks.
This isn’t an apocalypse. Don’t fill your cupboard with sugar to survive 5 years on the shelf. Stock up on tinned chickpeas, tuna tins, rice. Fill the freezer with veggie bags. Bulk-buy and cook up lots of 2kg’s of meat or tofu and ziplock bag the cooked protein in the freezer for later use. - DON’T BUY stupid stuff with your Govt. cash and frozen mortgage.
Whilstbarbells, dumbells, and resistance bands and excellent toys for isolation, waist-slimmers and Celebrity Slim-Fast shakes are gimmicks. Whilst you have excess cash (eg. Stimulus package, frozen mortgages and lack of social outings – booze!) and an abundance of time (no commute to work, no kids’ school / activities), invest in your health and come out of this pandemic better than you went in it. - ENJOY DOING NOTHING. Get more sleep. Light candles, listen to calming tunes.
The whole family can benefit from a little longer sleep in. Use this downtime to truly recharge the batteries. Not driving to work / school / gym / appt / after school sports will give you SO much more time.. use it! Organise that ancient box in the loft, throw out old clothes or learn a second language!
Would you stand in your kitchen burning on fire and say “I’ll just wait and see what happens” and watch it get worse, or would you be the saviour of your household and catch that fire before it does real damage?…
Be the leader, the saviour and the rock your family needs you to be during COVID-19 Isolation Living. Be the fun, energetic and strong mumma you need you to be. Email us now at [email protected] and we’ll help you get started!
