I picked the perfect year to decide to have a baby. What’s a pregnancy without a side of a pandemic? I’ve always had a few tricks to help me deal with stress but the added stress of pregnancy, being a business owner and dealing with a pandemic required me to shift how I handle it….no more bottle of wine to help me forget my troubles. Here’s a few things that are helping me get through this crazy year.
-Pomodoro Technique; this technique uses an timer to break down tasks (the original technique suggests setting a 25 minute timer, but I change this depending on the task at hand ) and get shit done, taking breaks every time the timer goes off. I love using this for the tasks that seem impossible(helllloooo 400+ emails after maternity leave), or cleaning up at home, meal planning, organizing my closet etc. Set the timer, pick a time that isn’t intimidating, if its for work I set the timer for around 23(not 25 I know I’m weird) minutes, if it’s something small like a quick kitchen clean up I’ll set the timer for 13 minutes. By the time the timer goes off I’m usually on such a roll that I keep working at the task, if it’s not already done. And once the timer goes off, If you feel you need a break, step away and take a 5 minute break.
-Music for the soul; At the beginning of the pandemic I sent out three different playlists to my newsletter(Miss my newsletter? Sign up here. ). I know how important music is to all of us, we all have a few songs that take us out of whatever we are feeling or experiencing and let us forget our worries….even if it’s only for a few minutes. Make a stress reducing playlist that helps put you in a better mood(my go to music app is Spotify).
To checkout my playlists click here: Chill Playlist , Shake it Playlist and Slay Playlist
-Movement; this has always been apart of my routine and it really helps calm my nerves. But I’ve had to adjust as I haven’t been in my gym since March, and I likely won’t be going back until 2021. Now it’s all about the at home workouts, and even just a quick 15 minute workout helps me temporarily forget that the world is on fire. Find something you love to do, it doesn’t have to be for a certain amount of time, or a certain level of intensity. Just get it done. Walk, jog(you’ll never see me do this, but I hear some people like it), jump on a trampoline, take a yoga class(virtual or in studio), follow a 10 minute YouTube video. There’s truly a workout for everyone and since we all have extra time, now is the perfect time to build a new routine. And you can always join me live every Tuesday/Thursday at 8am MST for bootylicious class or Saturday 9am MST for a tabata style classes(all classes are virtual via zoom). Sign up here.
-Prioritize and organize; We all have one area that we can improve on when it comes to organization. I have never been one to plan on my meals or make a set grocery list, but since I’ve had a baby I’m having to make this more of a priority. A quick 15 minutes planing out my meals, and snacks for the week helps my week go a hell of a lot smoother and prevents the “WTF should I eat, I’ll just grab Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A or whatever I can find at 7-Eleven” type of meal. Pick 2-3 things each week that are important to you, plan and schedule out how you’ll achieve them and let all the smaller things fall into place.
-Laugh with girlfriends; Just last week I had a stressful week trying to adjust to work and motherhood. It was Friday night, Illyana was asleep, Caesar was coaching a football game so I decided to take advantage of the quiet and get some work done. I was behind on my to do list and I wanted to catch up. My girlfriends texted “lets Houseparty”(an app where we can all video chat). I saw the text, I closed out….I kept working. A few more texts came through, “Lindsay can you do it now?” I picked up my phone and said yes, but wasn’t sure if I really wanted to. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, I was trying to get shit done but I said yes anyway. I hopped on the video chat, we talked, laughed about random ass shit(it’s normal for 35 year olds to stalk people from their high school on Facebook….right?). It was exactly the medicine I needed. I got off the call feeling lighter, happier and didn’t return to work for the rest of the evening. It was exactly what I needed to shift my mood. If Covid has taught us anything it’s to appreciate the little things, like the important people in your life. And texting is not the same as a a phone call so pick up the damn phone, and call your people.