Stress, anxiety, depression...oh my! Covid 19 Pandemic

Day 60 of quarantine

In my lifetime I have never encountered such a time as this. What is happening in our world is so strange and unpredictable. As a well balanced homeschooling momma of 14, I usually have my act together. Not great but at least I could handle the day to day ups and downs with a positive attitude.

This is a difficult time in my life with my normal schedule ruined. I am a strong woman when I am on my schedule, but this has thrown off my grove. I used to be super active, OK that is a nice way of saying super spazzy, if I was born in the 90's they would say ADD. My dad called it "monkey glands," I call it my super power.

Being off my schedule has caused me to fall apart in many ways like gaining around 15 lbs and being ultra lethargic. My house is getting messier and messier. I don't have the energy to do much. Everyday I have been surviving on watching daily mass, doing morning prayer with parishioners, doing a light workout, face timing family or friends to see a face other than my darling family at home, getting outside, taking a candlelit bath with praise and worship music, and watching family movies almost every night.

Today a priest I have been following for daily mass, said today that we need to fight against spiritual sloth and mental stupor. "We need to engage, the Goal is not to just endure the virus but to make the choice to sacrifice, than love, than friendship with Christ."

I am really appreciating the slowing down of my super crazy schedule, God is bringing lots of blessings to many families by having time with their daddy's, and working from home with their babies. I am not enjoying trying to do zoom school. This is not the homeschooling I have been used to for 30 years! As you can see from the classroom baseboard my kids aren't loving it much either.

This time of year I am busy planning and hosting parties,now its all cancelled. How else is my home gonna get cleaned if I don't have a party to host? Easter, First Communion, my birthday, Mother's Day, my daughters baby shower, seeing my grand babies, two graduation parties, the Father/daughter dance, end of the year banquet, not to mention all the sports...so many things cancelled. My old month looked like this...so God has given me a gift. This month everything is crossed off.

For an extrovert this is hard to deal with. I get out of the house each day but I am used to more of a schedule and without one, I literally lay on the couch and wonder what I have the energy to do. It's also hard on my marriage. My poor husband, I am trying to keep up with the housework when I am not trying to miss one of the ten zoom meetings we have. My husband is an extreme introvert and his schedule hasn't changed except that we are all home now, ALL. THE. TIME. So, he hasn't had his usual time by himself when we leave for the home school tutorial. This makes us more edgy than normal. My poor kids long to see their buddies again, thank God for letter writing, they have really embraced that fun skill lately.

So, lets keep praying for our world to get through this time with prayer and fasting and hope our churches open again. We need each other. Remember to keep reaching out to others and don't let anyone get left behind. Many are struggling and need our support.

Menopause support supplements 

My old schedule looked like this: 
Get up at 4:30 am and go to the gym
Go to 6:30 am mass
Quiet time before the kids woke up
Do school
Have lunch
Do jobs
Get ready for dinner
Eat
Try to pray as a family
Get ready for bed
Pass out between 9:30-10:00 pm

My new schedule looks like this:
Get up around 7:00 am
Take large amounts of Menopausal supplements
Brush teeth
Try to put on makeup
7:30 am light work out
8:00 am listen to online mass
8:30 am Do morning prayer 
9:00 am online school
11:30 am lunch
12:30 get dressed if not dressed yet
1:00 pm put baby down for nap
Take a candlelit bath with praise and worship music

Lay on the couch and do nothing

5:00 pm Dinner

6:00 pm try to pray

6:30 pm watch TV

8:30 pm put kids to bed

9:00 to 11:00 Lay around usually watching TV

Try to go to bed before 11:00 pm

Thy Will Be Done!!! +JMJ+