What Next? How To Get Through The Rest Of 2020

2020 has been a crap year. If someone told me last year that 2020 would unravel the way it did, I would have told them they were drunk. Who could have predicted this? 

It has been such a long year. As we go into the holiday season and the colder weather moves in, I need something to help turn things around. I have decided to set some goals for myself to focus on and get me through the rest of the year. These goals aren’t necessarily big or life changing. They are small things that I hope will get me ready for the months to come, the holidays, the cold weather, and this crazy pandemic. By sharing my own goals for the rest of the year I hope you can get inspired to set some of your own.  Along with sharing my goals I also want to share some tips on how you can get through the rest of the year.

Goals For Myself

I am currently sitting at my desk eating leftover birthday cake and an afternoon coffee surrounded by STUFF. Kids toys, Halloween decorations, a car seat, a baby playmat E no longer uses, and boxes of stuff I want to give away or donate. This place is a mess. 

Every few weeks I tidy it up so everything looks neat, but it’s still all there. I always envisioned the office in our house as being a place where I could go to not just work, but to relax and workout in but it has turned into the space where Tom works and I drop off stuff that I don’t want in other parts of the house. I am tired of this and something has to change. So my first personal goal is to make this office into the space I always wanted it to be. Even if Tom has to work here Monday to Friday I still want it to be my workspace as well. I also just want it to be a nicer spot for him to work in and a tidier space for the kids to play if they are down here with either of us. I feel like this is a project that is sort of on the bigger side, but I need to tackle it for my own mental health.

The cleaning out of the office will start the great purge of 2020, which is another goal I have set for myself for the remainder of the year. I don’t know how we have so much stuff. The kids have too many toys and I have too many clothes. All this stuff can go to people who need it more than we do. N has started asking for things for Christmas and I have started to tell her that if she wants a new toy for Christmas she has to donate one of her old toys that she doesn’t really play with anymore. I hope to pair down the toys while at the same time teaching her to share and give to the less fortunate. She is starting to warm up to the idea. Now, I just have to let go of those jeans I haven’t worn in 10 years. 

I have a few tips I want to share and some things you can do on your own or with the kids to help get through the rest of the year. We are all in the same boat and I have been thinking of ways of coping and keeping busy in these trying times because who knows when this will all be done.

Tip #1

Give yourself grace and space. No need to set goals or plans that are unrealistic. Now is not the time to look at other people and see all the stuff they are getting done stuck at home. That’s them and your situation is most likely vastly different than theirs. I know it’s hard. I have a difficult time with this sometimes, especially when I am at an exhausted point. I need to remember to just focus on me and what I can do. 

Tip #2

Take some time to breathe, whatever that may mean to you. Meditate, take a few calming breaths or just step away for a minute, close the door behind you and scroll instagram for a moment. Whatever works for you. It’s about taking a moment, centering yourself and recharging. 

Tip #3

Get outside. Get out as much as you can and as many times as you can muster the strength to get the little ones into their cold weather gear. Fresh air always does wonders for my mood. If you can get out on your own for a second then that’s a bonus but fresh air will help the whole family.

Tip #4

Put on some music and have a dance party with the kids. My girls love a good dance party. A good old dance party is a perfect mood changer when everyone needs a bit of a boost. You can always do an impromptu dance party or schedule it in your calendar and decorate the house. N loves to decorate for parties.

Tip #5

Have a movie night at home or even a movie afternoon. This is my go-to when I just want to sit and cuddle with my kids. It’s easy family time.

Tip #6

If you need a project to distract you from the news then maybe tackle a project in your home like my office overhaul. The goal or project can be anything from making a plan to go out for a walk once a day or maybe learning a new language on  a learning app like Dualingo.

I’m currently obsessed with shows like Tidying Up with Marie Condo and Get Organized With The Home Edit (both on Netflix). I am home all the time because of the pandemic, how can I not be obsessed with these shows? The project should be as big or small as you think you can manage. Now is not the time to start a project that overwhelms you and set yourself up to fail. Do something that will bring you joy. My office project is on the bigger side, but I know I can tackle it in a few days. Just don’t pick something you know deep down you won’t complete. 

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Take it day by day or even hour by hour if you need to. Not every day will be great and it is on those bad days that you just need to be a bit more loose in your plan so you can turn the day around. I know this is easier said than done. I don’t always heed my own advice but I do try and do better next time. I am aware that may be hard to do, but the effort is there and that’s all that matters. 

I want to end by asking you, what some of your coping strategies are. We have all been in the same boat for roughly nine months now so I am sure you all have come up with your own tricks and tips. I am curious to know how you all have been coping. This year has been full of uncharted territory and I have learned a lot about myself and how I cope in certain situations. I think one thing that has helped guide me through is my support group. I have learned from my mom friends and what they have been doing to get through this year. I hope you can share some of your strategies so we can all find new ways to make it through the rest of 2020.