We had so much plans this summer. There’s the family trip to Japan after the Holy Week, the Baguio trip with the husband sans kids, museums the kids and I are planning to visit, and the classes we plan to enroll our kids. Of course, I couldn’t wait for that eight hours uninterrupted sleep and not worrying about baon, quizzes, and homework.

Then coronavirus happened. I was busy preparing for the kids’ final exams when I got an announcement from the school that Final Exams are suspended. Few days later (and as the virus progressed, which led to lockdown), the school decided to cancel the exams and the kids are officially on summer break.

To be honest, I wasn’t very ecstatic about it. There were a lot of concerns and worries not just for myself but also for my family. The repeated cycle of worry-paranoia-worry isn’t very helpful, too.

But I won’t let this consume me. My mood is often mirrored by my kids and I want to be as positive as I can, with the help of these tips:

Set A Schedule

It’s tempting to wake up at 10am but admit it, it’s not feasible when you’re a mom. Responsibilities and little humans await, surely. After all, lockdown or not, life goes on.

What I do is to set a schedule. I don’t follow this strictly, but it gives me a framework of how our day will go. It also increases productivity and ensures that certain tasks are done within the day.

READ: Our Simple Summer Schedule

ME Time Is A MUST

This is non-negotiable. Whatever the situation is, I always demand for me time. It keeps my sanity intact and at the same time, I need to take care of myself, too.

Me time is anytime but I make it a point to have this at night, when the kids are finally sleeping, to prevent interruption. I usually read a book, work on calligraphy, blog, or watch series in Netflix. Any activity will do as long as I find it enjoyable.

Establish New Habits

They say it takes 21 days to build new habits. That’s true. Since we all have a lot of time in our hands, now is the perfect time to try and establish new habits.

It could be anywhere from having a nighttime skin care routine, drinking a warm glass of milk or tea before bedtime, or trying new exercises. It wouldn’t hurt if you light up scented candles as well.

Learn Something New

I’m surprised and thankful to content creators for sharing their works for free. I take advantage of those resources to learn something new for myself.

At present, I’m working on calligraphy (again). I also enrolled in few online classes for additional learning. Been cooking new dishes and experimenting in the kitchen as well because of the extra time and no pressure.

The bottom line is take this opportunity to try something new. We have extra time in our hands, so make the most out of it.

Workout

A genius by the name of Elle Woods once said that “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” I agree.

I try my best to workout during school days. Now that it’s summer and we’re currently on a lockdown, I committed to every other day workout. It feels good to see an improvement and finally fitting to some of my old clothes, although it’s still a long way to go towards getting that pre-pregnancy body. But that’s fine, yes?

The point is take some time off to exercise. It’s good for your health. I swear by cardio exercises, but I leave room for Yoga and Pilates, too.

Limit Access To Social Media

This is a must. Social media can be a source of negativity, which is why I try to avoid this as much as I can. I rarely check my Facebook but I keep myself updated through Twitter. I still allot a certain time everyday, usually in the morning or before bedtime, since I still need to keep updated of what’s going on in the country and around the world. It helps to set an alarm, too.

I also choose who to follow. Negative people must be blocked at all cost. I don’t need that right now. With everything that is happening, it is imperative that I keep my mental health in check and maintain positivity.

It’s okay to be scared and to have all that worries for ourself and our family. As a mom, that is our job and we have to acknowledge those fears. More than that, we need to ensure that those worries won’t take over our emotions and mental health.

Let’s take this opportunity to connect with ourself. If it helps, talk to someone. Be more mindful. Spend precious moments with the kids. This is the universe’s way of saying we need a reboot, so let’s make the most out of this time.