Don't put pressure on yourself.

[Bluewavescrashing]

I keep seeing posts about people starting new hobbies, learning languages, gong on diets etc.

This is fantastic if you want to do it and have the time etc. However, a period of massive anxiety and uncertainty is possibly not ideal to start something new. You could be setting yourself up to fail.

It's OK to stick with the familiar. If you're lucky enough to have nice food available, enjoy it. Have a drink if you fancy one. If exercise makes you feel better, great, but a local walk is fine if you can't get motivated for a complicated workout. Children can be plonked in front of a film or a while. Cuddle them, read to them but you don't have to teach them for 10 hours a day. Good enough is good enough. If the house gets a bit dusty, that's OK. No need to deep clean everything in sight. Mediocre is all most of us can manage right now. Be kind to yourself.

Good post. There seems to be a lot of competitive lockdown stories being bandied around. I have a bad back so am making the most of a bit of garden pottering in the sunshine, a daily walk and lots of reading. Suits me fine

Very good advice - I keep seeing posts on SM suggesting that coronavirus is the ultimate self-improvement boot camp, and it’s a lot when this is such a stressful and uncertain time.

I agree. I have hobbies already that I find comforting so I’m continuing, I was already on a diet and am a stone down so trying to stay on top.

I’m NOT coming off my antidepressants - I’d planned to start tapering this month but that’s a ‘no’ now!

I’m not homeschooling - we’re just doing stuff together to stay in a routine but no scheduled work or anything like that.

The kids are driving me insane though...

Thanks for this post Op.
Totally agree. I am just taking it easy

Good post. I am in danger of being that person.

I live alone with no kids (still having to work though) so have a lot of time, and after a week of pizza, chocolate and wine I have been thinking I really need to be strict and lose the stone that I've been needing to do for ages.

I need to read the books I haven't read and crack on with my French Duolingo but I am already starting to feel stressed about it all. Doesn't help I am the world's worst procrastinator.

Really need to find a happy balance with embracing this period, using it productively but also not stressing myself out!

I agree but I do like to keep busy , I've not harped on about it but I have plenty of things to keep me going but no rush .
Part of me feels guilty being at home at night not able to work when my dh is still working and I have friends who work for the nhs .
I don't feel it's right some of my friends fb posts with pictures of the family in the garden with its not so bad this isolation lark when I know people going to work risking their health.

Great post.
The first few days I was enjoying for once having not much to do other than downtime with my kids.
Now I'm utterly bombarded by all my WhatsApp groups with things we should be doing and it's totally stressing me out.
Do a schedule if you want, do joe wickes every morning if you want, do maths 10-11 of you want, etc
But please for the love of god stop WhatsApping everybody about it.
That was cathartic. Rant over.

Thanks OP - I needed to read that this morning

I'm glad it hit the right note.

I've had very severe anxiety in the past and when I became too ill to work temporarily, my high achiever aspirations were actually quite harmful to myself and my family. Obsessive cleaning etc. I'm much better now.

In times of worry it can be tempting to cling on to something we can control. Dieting, extreme exercise, big projects on the house etc. But it's not always healthy to do this.

Today I'm lucky not to be working (I'm a part time key worker and not needed today). I've had a bath, fed the pets, referreed the DCs and made a coffee before 9am so feel I'm winning already. 🥇

Bluewavescrashing this is very resonant. I think people haven't stopped to think how stressful this situation is before launching themselves into something, anything possibly to blot out the anxiety. I found myself doing it yesterday. DD has become quite ill today, so that, together with your post has put a stop to my 'getting everything done' in a totally unnecessary mad rush.

I agree, OP.

Although I also think that lots of people are doing it as a coping mechanism and need to keep busy. Keeping busy and crossing little things off my to do list definitely makes me feel better. But I don't use social media outside of MN and a few niche FB groups, so I'm not announcing it anywhere.

And, as always, people's social media output rarely reflects their real lives anyway - sure, they might have photos of their kids making cakes, but they're not necessarily going to mention the fact their DCs had an absolute meltdown after two maths questions and then spent the rest of the afternoon eating crisps and watching Netflix.

Ooooh crisps and Netflix.

I love this post. Thanks OP.