Stressed about the "new normal"?

Masks, online classes, work-from-home, physical and social distancing, Zoom - these are terms that we now hear on a daily basis. It’s all part of our “new normal”, our “new reality”.

Since March 18, 2020 when the BC state of emergency began, business shutdowns, travel restrictions, and event cancellations led to loss of jobs, domestic violence, and additional stress. But according to Charles Swindoll, an author and educator, “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”. Some families, like mine, chose to welcome the opportunity to spend more time together and relax in the comfort of our home. Instead of letting ourselves be overwhelmed by conflicting information on social media, we decided to check reliable sources like the BC Centre for Disease Control, to stay updated. Physically isolated from friends and relatives, we connected online or via phone call. We learned to have structure and plan a daily routine. We've also done fun things that we usually don't have the time to do, like play board games, create DIY family projects, and scavenge for old pictures to remember our family history.

Although the pandemic has so many negative effects, we can still choose to have hope and a positive perspective in life. Taking care of ourselves physically and mentally will allow us to model for our children the basic self-care of eating regularly, hydrating, getting good sleep, and valuing hygiene. One foot in front of the other!