Dealing with the Stress of Back-to-School During COVID

Dealing with Back-to-School Stress when Working from Home

This year back-to-school time is very different. In-person, hybrid, school online… it is very challenging for parents who may also be working from home. It can be difficult to handle the logistics and resulting stress. We hope parents can take the time to focus on their needs as they deal with the many challenges of school and work. The article “With family by your side months into working from home, do you still have balance?” from FastCompany provides some good ideas for parents including spreading some joy, get moving, and more.

Read the full article here. Highlights include:

SAVORING A JOLT OF JOY
EXERCISING YOUR STRENGTHS
MAKING SOMEONE’S DAY BETTER
AIMING FOR SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY
GETTING MOVING

Advice we can all use… We hope you can take the time for you in this stressful time!

Creating Vacuums

Eliminating the Negative by Accentuating the Positive

By Mary Grace Musuneggi

Have you ever noticed that life is much easier when you understand, accept, and follow the universal laws of nature? Those who resist or ignore these simple rules that govern the world around us seem to find their lives in upheaval, as do those who resist or break our man-made laws.

By the laws of nature, I mean those universal rules that were taught to you by your parents, ministers, or teachers. You know – you reap what you sow. Ask and you shall receive. Two things can’t exist in the same space at the same time. Nature hates a vacuum. And so many more.

But how do you apply these laws to your everyday life? Very simply – if you want good in your life, you need to do good. If you want a happy, prosperous life, you need to sow happiness and seek prosperity. What you ask of the world, it will give you. If you desire less, you will receive less. If you expect the worst, life will live up to your expectations. Have you every realized that F.E.A.R. (False Expectations Appearing Real) can be a self-fulfilling prophecy? And since two things cannot exist in the same space at the same time, if you fill your life space with negative talk, unhappy thoughts, and self-destructive behavior, there is no room for the positive, the beautiful, or the abundance that exist in the world.

But if you remove anything that does not bring joy and pleasure to your life, from ill-fitting clothes to bad relationships, you make room for something new and beautiful to take its place.

Current events and home quarantine have given many of us the opportunity to take some time to look around our world and review everything from our home furnishings and clothes closets to our friendships, our work environment, and our finances. So, create vacuums by eliminating anything that stands in the way of you being happy. Ask the world only for good things, and let good things come into and fill those spaces you create. Sow the seeds of prosperity, and good things will come.

Someone once said, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Create vacuums and make your one life all you want it to be.

Packing and Unpacking our Thoughts

Removing Negative Thinking

By Lisa Purk

I like to travel. Sometimes it’s going to places I’ve been before and rediscovering the things I enjoyed the first time.  And I like the familiarity of it. Other times, it’s the adventure of going somewhere I’ve never been and discovering new places and things to do. Either way, there are two things I must do: pack, and unpack.

I don’t enjoy either of these activities all that much. Making several days’ worth of “What do I want to wear” decisions taxes me. And I am an over-packer. Every time. But at least when I’m packing, I’m looking forward to time away. Unpacking is easier because there’s no decisions to make. But I’m home, my vacation is over, and everyday routine is looming. And there’s all these pieces of stuff that need to be put away.  I admit it can take me days.

As I am continually on the look out for how everyday experiences teach us something about life, so it is with packing and unpacking. It speaks to me of thoughts.

Life is often compared to a journey and our thoughts are something we must take along with us. It’s non-negotiable.  And just like choosing what to take on my trips, we get to choose what thoughts we take on our journey around life.

If I take my favorite summer dress on a trip where I’ll be biking and hiking, well that doesn’t serve me very well. It makes much more sense for me to pack my favorite hiking boots, cargo pants and options for variations in weather that provide what’s needed to fully enjoy my vacation or weekend escape.

It’s the same with our thoughts. When you habitually carry thoughts of not being “enough” in some way, e.g., smart enough, young enough, or disciplined enough, you are not serving yourself well.  Other defeating thought patterns that might ring through your mind are, “It’s not meant for me;” “If only I had the time (money; support….);” or “I don’t have the right education.”  The variation of negative thoughts is vast. All of them will hold you back from pursuing your most fulfilling life whether it’s a new adventure, education, opening a business, or writing a book.

Alternatively, when you cultivate a habit of believing you already have – or are intelligent enough to gain – the skills, talents and resources you need, then you’ll pursue that which offers you the most satisfying life. It takes being intentional and it doesn’t happen overnight. If you want to pack a more positive thought habit, you can begin with what you’re infusing into your mind through what you read and watch and the company you keep.

Travel involves packing and unpacking that which will serve you well for your trip. When you view your life this same way, you’ll be intentional in unpacking what isn’t working.  You’ll pack in what does.

Even if you over pack, you’ll be sure to have what you need for your journey.

Lisa Purk is the Owner of Inner Fire Coaching.  She coaches women who want to develop the confidence to align their lives with their authentic self and pursue their creative passions.

You can find out more about Lisa through her blog, Your Morning Purk, on Facebook and on Linked In.