"Managing feelings of anxiety and overwhelm when managing working from home and home- schooling during the Pandemic."
By: Brittany A. Scott
If you're like me, due to the Pandemic of 2020 all the days, weeks, and months have started to run together. You ask yourself daily, "Am I working from home, or is my home my new place of work?" or the daily questions of who gets 100% of my attentions and effort; my child or my career? The Pandemic has mothers across the world stretched 1-ply toilet paper thinnnnn. Many of us are in a constant whirlwind of working from, teaching from home, cleaning our home, and preparing 3 meals with what seems to be 500 snacks in between in our homes. to say the mothers of 2020 have "cabin-fever" would be a serious understatement. In any light, too much of anything is a bad thing and motherhood is no different. While the rest of the world was confident that choosing motherhood meant [we] are prepared to succumb to the needs of our children and families without break, many mothers are trying to reveal the ugly truths of this Pandemic.
"Am I working from home, or is my home my new place of work?"
When my job opened back up in June of this year, I felt relieved. I mean, there was also still deep concern for my health and the health of my child, as I have been doing everything clever to keep COVID-19 away from us both; yet...I was still excited. For the past 6 months, I had been pretty much operating full-time out of my home for work, childcare, and entertainment. I wanted to get out of the house and I wanted a breath of fresh air...daily!
When I worked from home, my anxiety was so high because I felt so overwhelmed from the obvious responsibilities that were always in my face like cleaning, laundry, dusting, house projects, and so much more! I would find myself cleaning in between breaks from work, using my lunchtime to switch loads of wet clothes to the dryer, and folding dry clothes before they had a chance to wrinkle. I realized not only was I more productive in the office, but I could focus on my actual job because at my place of employment, I only had ONE job. Sure, there are times you have extra projects and take on subsequent responsibilities but they are usually within the realm of your job title. You won't walk into your place of employment and suddenly have to make Marketing, Executive Director, or Accounting decisions if that is not your job title/role.
Motherhood is the exact opposite. As a mother you are the: Executive Director, Accountant, Cleaning Crew, Kitchen Staff, Medical Response Team, Counselor, and More!
So, with options for "freedom" and "mommy breaks" being few and far between thanks to Mrs. Rona, I realized I had to create focus on what I could do...and I could go into work. So I made arrangements for my three-nager, got my PPE together, and prepared to give my sense of normalcy by returning back to the office. It's amazing how making small adjustments to your daily life can make monumental improvements. The mental relief of being in the office, was instant.
The Ride Home
It was the ride home that really secured the deal for me and let me know that going into the office was the very small yet do-able task I could do to give myself a mental breather from balancing the multiple roles of motherhood simultaneously. My ride home allowed me to mentally clock out of work and clock into motherhood, a luxury not provided by working from home. I could let the day go on my ride to pick my little one up...heck I even MISSED my baby!! (Which I hadn't felt in a while since I had been attached to her *insert upside down smiling emoji*). I would encourage all mothers to look at your schedule and figure out how you can incorporate some solitude, self-care, and just overall quietness; because you need it. You can't pour from an empty cup, and finding that time of solitude is a way to ensure you are in-tune enough with yourself to know when your cup is running low. Don't underestimate the large benefits of small changes, focus on what open doors you have this Pandemic season and truly give thought to how you can maximize those doors to give yourself some solitude and peace of mind.
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