We are about to begin week 6 of isolation as a family of four. Our children are 3 and 6 years old. The first 5 weeks were packed with lessons for me, and I assume many more to come. I was in a really great place mentally when our lives changed. In December last year I started posting videos online, talking about how happy I was. I had transformed my life using a multitude of self-help concepts, and I wanted to share my experience with those that were struggling.

When Covid-19 resulted in spending 24 hours a day at home with my family, my perception of life in general had to drastically shift. This was quite an adjustment for me, and I can only imagine how frazzled I would have been had this happened a year ago when I was a ball of anxiety on a daily basis. I am blessed that I was consciously aware of how to release the stress and anxiety that was added overnight to my daily life. It wasn’t easy, even with all of the self-help tools I had added to my belt over the past year.

Many people see the pandemic as an opportunity to slow down and self-reflect. As a mother, I didn’t slow down at all. I sped up, and was catapulted into what felt like chaos. Why did I attract such chaos into my life? Sometimes you can ask ‘why’ all you want and you’ll never get an answer. You just have to trust it. Trust that there is a lesson behind the chaos. For everyone, the lessons as a result of Covid-19 will be different. For some, the experience might simply be a blessing.  There are clearly lessons in this experience for us a whole, and there are likely also lessons for each individual if we are willing to face them and release them with love.

As a mother I was now constantly overrun with a long to-do list, multitasking like never before, and finding no time to sit with myself. I could feel the pressure building. If there is one thing I have learned on this journey of growth, it’s that the journey never ends. I believe we are always growing, and sometimes we simply forget how our reality is assisting our growth, especially when things change quickly and we are fighting to find our feet. If you are feeling the pressure, now isn’t necessarily the time to figure it all out and become a better version of you. But, it is an opportunity to practice shifting your perception, and get clear on what it is you are being called to learn within the relationships that currently surround you.

Since the lock down I have had to sacrifice the amount of time I dedicate to connecting with my soul, but I have stayed committed to journaling as much as I possibly can. When I journal I am able to quickly release the stress or anxiety that I have latched onto, and I can see things through the eyes of love more clearly. For me, journaling is like the key to the kingdom. It’s a self help concept that has served me well for almost a year now. I follow a simple routine that I commit to every evening. There are nights when all I want to do is flop in front of the TV (or sleep), but I stay committed because I know for the sake of my mental health and the mental health of my family, it is important.

My husband and I have discussed the alone time we both need to get through this with the best possible mindset, and we ensure we allow each other alone time everyday. This is not time spent watching TV or downing a glass of wine in peace, but time spent going within. I try to reflect on what I can do on a daily basis to stay positive, and show up for my family with love in a time when they need me most. As we sift through this interesting time in our existence, parents are being asked to step up in ways that we likely never imagined. I’m choosing to embrace both the good parts and the bad of this challenge. My goal is to have as many joyous moments as possible with my family, and forgive myself for the moments when I snap under the pressure. In exchange, I trust that the universe has something magical waiting for me when this is all over, even if that magic is simply the joyous, and sometimes crazy memories I get to keep of my family during this interesting time. My ultimate goal is that my children look back on this and remember the most important thing of all, love.