As I poured my third cup of coffee for the day, I glanced over at my husband who was deeply engaged in a conference call for work. My daughter was on her own video call for school, and I was frantically trying to keep the other two kids occupied. I stood there and felt my own exhaustion really sink in.

I am usually a 1 cup a day person, but this Pandemic has me pouring a lot more coffee these days. Keeping three young children engaged, happy, and thriving is a task on a NORMAL day, but now my husband and I have had to quickly learn new ways to be there for our kids because, for right now,—all they have is us.

My husband and I have agreed that the level of exhaustion we feel in these long work from home, parent from home, teach from home, play from home days have us feeling stretched thin. We were tired before, but this is different. The emotional toll of society’s halt is not something I think I could have ever prepared for. I am now acutely aware of the absence of social support from family and friends. I am confronted with how vital these relationships were and I miss them dearly. It feels like each day brings a new level of uncertainty and it’s very quickly draining.

I’m hearing these same sentiments from my clients as well. I sense that people are feeling guilty for not “rocking this”—not taking advantage of the time and opportunity. I’m hearing people discuss feelings of failure, discouragement and helplessness. I’m hearing working parents feeling like they are doling out their energy into so many different categories, and are left feeling like nothing is getting their best effort—that they are barely getting by. Relationship struggles are intensified in this contained environment and it feels hard to find a needed escape.

I’m here to emphasize that this a period of unknown experience.

Much like a mother who has her first baby, who has no idea what to expect, whether it will get easier, and how she will- quite frankly- survive. I think we need to treat this the same way—the goal here is not to compete for best pandemic performance. But to do your best with the tools that you have right now.

For me, that has meant rediscovering that the littlest of things, are making the biggest difference. I want to share some of these with you. My hope in this is that you find ways to destress with minimal effort, expand the world within the 4 walls of your house, and still find enjoyment in life as we know it today.

1. Rediscover music.

Each night, after the charade that is putting my kids to bed, I have found that sitting outside in my backyard and listening to music has been the most euphoric thing for me. The psychological benefits of music are astounding. Research tells us that music improves mood, relaxes you, helps with managing pain, and reduces stress among many other things. I challenge you to track how you feel while scrolling your phone for 30 minutes and then compare it to 30 minutes immersed in your favorite music. You will see for yourself!

2. Escape through literature.

The only thing better than relaxing with music, I think, is listening to music while getting lost in a novel. Pair these two things together and I promise you will get reprieve from COVID-19 thoughts. Currently, I am reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (I suggest listening to the Spotify station “Classical Reading”).

3. Be in nature.

Sunlight and nature are highly underrated in my book. I am one of those people who notices when I have been without the sun for a few days- it has a marked effect on me. With this quarantine life, I have had to be very intentional about allowing the sun to hit my skin, and letting that do its own work. Be outside, get fresh air—even if that means for 5 minutes between your work calls. It’s that important.

4. Keep flowers in your home.

Now, I know we are supposed to avoid the grocery store whenever possible, but if you find yourself there, pick up some flowers. Keep them in your home and let them boost your mood. It may seem trivial, but seeing beauty is so incredibly therapeutic and important for us as humans.

5. Pray/meditate.

If you are anything like me, prayer and meditation can be hard because it so often creates a temptation for me to focus on my worries and concerns. I think that if you are going to put your reserve energy anywhere, here is a good place. For me personally, that simply means bringing my concerns to God and asking for peace and trust. Relinquishing control to someone bigger than myself.

If you can find ways to implement these 5 practices into your day, or even just at points throughout your week, you will surely feel some of the weight of the stress from this current situation lift. What do you have to lose? There’s no time like the present to invite a healthy shift into your life.

Anne Streett, LMFT Associate, is a therapist at Millennial Life Counseling who helps couples and individuals experiencing heightened anxiety in their life. With a strong focus on couples and parents of young children, Anne is currently offering telehealth (video) sessions to support clients through the current challenges of COVID-19.

Contact us to work with Anne today. 214-504-1512 // info@hellomlc.com