I was talking to a colleague today about our motherhood woes. We were commiserating about the difficulty of being needed ALL. THE. TIME. by our kids. It is exhausting! I mean a break, a break is all I need. She mentioned with the pandemic there is no space. No break to be able to reset. Her kids have been with her the ENTIRE time. I don’t have that. My kiddos have continued to go to school and daycare. Everyone leaves my home but me.

It got me thinking about ways that you can get a break during the pandemic though. It is a little easier now that things are opening back up a little bit. But how can you do it when things aren’t?

Full time momming is hard and working on top of that is hard. The endless days and night blur together.

I asked around. I talked it over with my husband. I thought about it. Here are the best ways I’ve come up with to get a reset in our present predicament.

If you have a partner, take turns having an evening to yourself somewhere else in the house. Make a plan and keep the kids occupied. Get on a zoom call with friends, have a drink of choice and read or spend all the time treating yourself to a spa experience in the bathroom.

If you don’t have a partner -make a plan! Get some activity ideas together and buy supplies. Plan out something for your kids to do. The whole reason this was so difficult to deal with was the fact that is was so unexpected. Aside from the obvious health concern. But instead of living as if we don’t know what is going to happen, plan what will happen! I would have spent a decent chunk of money on crafts, physical activity toys and more if the kids stayed home with me.

Also screen time, I said it. I am completely against a ton of screen time. However, I use it whether that be TV or an iPad to save my sanity every day. I love to be the hypocrite. I truly would love to not use screen time but hot damn mama needs a break. And here in MN when there are days you cannot go outside because of the cruel winter, or you can only for a very short amount of time, screen time becomes a thing.

Take time to workout. If you can, do it outside. Can’t do it a lot here because, MN. But we can work out and you can do a really effective workout at home. There are so many options and you can find a ton of great free stuff online. Even more so now with the pandemic.

Lastly, if you can and feel safe, go be with people that light you up. I recently did this with two of my oldest friends. I cannot tell how much it soothes my soul to be with them. To know we have so much in common still. To laugh out loud with them. I feel like I may have done most the talking (again?) but I hope they feel the same. Connection with people that care and get you is always the most wonderful thing.

Stay healthy and sane everyone! Share what you are doing to make it during this pandemic!