By Gloria Martinez of womenled.org
5 Pandemic Difficulties and How to Deal with Them
With high hopes, we entered the summer months with a look toward moving past the pandemic. Fast forward to now, and we're back to navigating a rise in cases and cutting out time doing the things we used to enjoy, like going out to dinner, the movies, or comfortably grocery shopping. Unfortunately, this also means we're back to spending more time at home.
However, while we await an end to the pandemic, there are things you can do to make life at home a little easier for everyone. Here are six of the most common problems families face during the pandemic and the best strategies for coping.
Kids keep interrupting your workday
Working from home is a dream come true for many professionals, but it can be anything but for parents. Working from home with kids in the house is a recipe for interruptions and cranky kids. If you feel like your attention is constantly divided and your work is suffering, start your day with a healthy breakfast and stick to a regular bedtime each night. By creating structure and predictability and ensuring kids have plenty of educational activities to keep busy, you can minimize distractions and keep your kids content.
Your internet connection can't keep up
Is your Wi-Fi lagging now that everyone is home during the summer? While most internet connections can handle a couple of devices browsing and streaming, if your kids are playing online multiplayer games while you're trying to work from home, you might find yourself spending a lot of time waiting for web pages to load. If you need a faster internet connection now that everyone's working, learning, and gaming from home, look into fiber optics.
Video games are monopolizing the TV
Slow internet speeds aren't the only problem gaming can cause in self-isolating households. If you find yourself battling for the TV remote every time you're clocking out and winding down, it may be time to invest in a separate monitor for the gamers in the family. However, not any old computer monitor can keep up with gaming graphics. So instead, you'll want to buy a monitor explicitly designed for gaming.
You're going stir crazy
TV and video games can only keep the family entertained for so long. Eventually, you'll start feeling that familiar itch to get back to your usual activities. Unfortunately, heading to crowded malls, parks, zoos, and other public spaces isn't safe in many locations. If your family is desperate to get out of the house, turn to the great outdoors instead. Whether it's fun in the backyard, a hiking trip, or learning how to geocache together, outdoor activities are a great way to keep things interesting—and your spirits up. Simply being surrounded by nature can have therapeutic effects on the brain.
Negative energy abounds in the home
Your kids may struggle again with staying home so often despite your best efforts. It's not unusual for children to display behavioral difficulties in times of stress. You may also find that your family is arguing or complaining more often due to being cooped up together again. Instead of letting your family's angst contribute to household stress, banish negative energy from home by lighting bundles of sage in each room. Clutter can also add stress, so make sure your belongings stay organized. In addition to clearing bad energy from home, make sure you're modeling healthy coping and managing your kids' expectations during this time.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to upend our lives, but that doesn't mean it has to stay like this. Instead of getting frustrated by all the little ways that the virus has made life at home more difficult, search for solutions that help your family live in harmony. With a little grace and a few clever strategies, you can all get through this together.