Juggle like Mom – Creating routine in lockdown life: Written by skincare specialist Kim Van Zyl
Here we are, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, and I, like many of you — have a lot of “macro anxiety” about our community, our nation, and our world as we know it. I’m freaking out a little on the inside (and sometimes the outside “my poor husband”), but I’m also hyper-aware that I have to stay sane for my friends and amazing teammates at work, and — most importantly — for my family at home by creating a routine in lockdown life.
My husband and I now both have the opportunity to work from home, and we are so grateful that we have the types of jobs where we can remain employed and work remotely. Many, I know, do not have this option. And here are two of us in the same house — those without spouses to help are in a far more difficult situation. While we are trying to keep our jobs as uninterrupted as possible, we are also expected to put on our teacher hats and keep our 1st grader busy with enriching activities — overseeing schoolwork or setting him up on apps or websites to work through various parts of their curriculum. Like many of you, we are a little lost and trying our best at creating a routine in lockdown.
Don’t worry — this is NOT yet another well-meaning aggregation of activities and ideas to keep your little ones busy, but rather a real perspective from a mom who is also trying to juggle work life, being the perfect wife, a teacher, and a mom. This weird situation that most of us find ourselves in has shown me that we are capable of the things we thought is impossible and we as a woman probably world best CLOWNS, we can really juggle cant we?
Here are a few of the things I am trying to create a routine in lockdown life for myself and my family:
1. Be ok with weird things happening during your meetings
Even though you try really hard to have a professional set up, things can happen. And we are all in the same boat they will understand dogs will bark, kids will interrupt, roommates will be roommates. IT IS OK
But use what life gives you and still be the best you can in every situation.
2. Start time blocking.
This was one of our amazing mentors’ advise in creating a routine in lockdown
My husband and I plan to review our upcoming schedules each evening, and figure out when one of us can be on “kid duty,” while the other takes calls/handles work that requires focus/gets to be alone in an office with the door closed. The minimization of meetings will help this, but we have also quickly learned that we can’t expect the kids to be patient and quiet when we’re on the phone. So, one person has to pay attention to the kid while the other tends to their work. It’s just reality.
3. Get outdoors.
We’re making sure our boy goes outside once every 2 hours. We are trying to institute a no phone policy on these outings — just take the time, breathe the fresh air, let the emails pile up. It’s good for the kids; it’s good for us.
4. Give the kids a break.
Speaking only for our boy, but this is really hard on him. He loves school and he loves his teacher and friends. This is a huge adjustment — one none of us wanted. Kids are going to be whiney, they are going to fight, they are going to frustrate us. So, we’re telling ourselves (repeatedly, honestly) that it’s okay if he is upset or not perfectly behaved. This isn’t easy. This WILL pass, but we have to get through it day by day.
5. Do what you can!
I am trying to force myself to accept that my days will be interrupted, truncated, unscheduled. This is reality. All you can do is what you can — as much as you can — during the day. Try to make yourself sign off at a normal time — be present in the evening/during night-time routines. Speaking for myself, I will need to work after kids’ bedtimes and before wake-ups, but it will give me some peace of mind knowing that I’ve dedicated a few hours to uninterrupted family time so we can talk about all that we managed to do that day.
6. Start your day by getting dressed up.
Besides being a way to express your individual sense of style, getting dressed for work sets the tone for your day.” Since your normal routine is interrupted when you work from home, it can help you feel more at ease to wear something a bit closer to what you’d normally wear at the office, and give your day direction and when your day is over , you can end your day my talking of your work close and slip into your yoga pants. By this, you will have a start and an end to your day.
7. Most important SKIN CARE
So just as important as it is to dress up and have the perfect make up for all your virtual meetings, it is just as important to wash it off and add that extra 10 min for a facial mask!
This is also the perfect time to add stronger actives or your higher percentage of retinol. As your skin will go through all the weird stages form redness to flaky and trust me they won’t pick it up on the camera.
We can all be butterflies coming out of our cocoons.
#Models in the making during the lockdown.
We are all figuring this out together, and some people in this community may have more experience than I do. But in the meantime, stay safe and remember we care, if you need skin care advice or just a chat be sure to schedule a complimentary virtual consultation with me, I am just a click away 🙂
