No Experts Here
While it would seem that experts are very much back in fashion - according to government anyway – I on the other hand, do not profess to be in any anyway expert on how to get through a pandemic:
When household income is reduced to a trickle.
Daily wholesome educational activity for the kids is suddenly your bag.
And the muppets are stockpiling for the end of the world.
However, if I were to share any nuggets from Family Mouncey’s last few weeks it would be these:
Start Of Day
Have a start of day routine and stick to it mercilessly – unless of course you agree with your Significant Other that you bother deserve a lie-in. Those of you who train and compete will already know that the only slot in a day that you can totally control is first thing in the morning before the rest of the house awakes. And that prep for the Start Of Day starts the previous evening. Control your start of day and you have a fighting chance of being there at the end more or less intact.
Simple, Sandbags & Siestas
Big picture for our household routine is that we do what we need to do in the morning – that’s homestudy for you, kiddies – so we can do what we want to do in the afternoon. Other essentials are Go Outside Together and Eat Together – and as long as Dad has at least thrown his sandbags around that’s basically it: anything else is a bonus. Next up is that we go all Mediterranean and go for an afternoon siesta…
Ration Your News
There’s a lot of stuff going on – and while there are heartwarming stories in there most of it is Really Bad Shit and most of the Really Bad Shit is shit we can’t control. So take the headlines, be warmed by the generosity and bravery and get up to date with what you need from your local area. Then stop. Come back to it at the other end of the day but in between you focus on your stuff that you control and the people closest to you.
Energy Beans
You have a finite supply – and even if you think you are doing just fine it’s likely that you will be spending more mental and emotional energy at an unconscious level: Managing your mood and thinking clearly under pressure without actually being aware that you’re doing so. All that takes energy – and if you’re in a primary care role even more so because it’s all give-give-give. You need your physical exercise to recharge and regain perspective by putting time and space between you and your duties. It may be that you only have energy for a gentle easy effort. Take it. Or you may be fired up to the max and can (and need to) put yourself in a box in a short hard training session. Accept what is and use it on that given day.
Phone Your Friends
Now is the time for meaningful exchange so stop emailing and texting and do more listening and talking. I mean, you have the time don’t you?
Pace For The Long Haul
This thing ain’t started for us yet in the UK. Anyone who can read mathematical models can see that the figures are only going one way. We are just warming up and are likely to be in this for way longer than some of our politicians would like us to believe. Keep it simple, take it day by day and commit to finding ways to enjoy more of the process of this thing together over time. You don’t have to have all the answers yet: Progress Not Perfection.
