The Gift of Time
Ahhhhh! December is here, and with it comes twinkling lights and celebrations with loved ones, especially if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and/or Kwanzaa. December also brings the cold, and of course, snow. This can translate to more time commuting (ugh), working from home on snow days (double ugh) and sick days, as there is always an increase in respiratory illnesses (ugh and no!).
December is a great opportunity to practice reframing your thinking regarding time. Consider when you set your alarm for earlier to compensate for the added commute, looking at it like bonus alone time. Now you get to listen longer to your favorite radio station or audiobook or appreciate the silence (if you’re a parent to a little one, you know silence is golden). Take this as an opportunity to practice deep breathing, being mindful and present to your surroundings. We all covet alone time (I prefer it in a warm bubble bath but I’ll take what I can get) so see this dreary drive as a positive as opposed to a negative.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “How can working from home with a sick child, or a child filled with beans because there is a snow day, a positive thing?” It’s all about reframing our thinking. When we are home with our sick child, we are caring for them, strengthening our bond with them. Having secure relationships with our children builds their resilience and ability to cope with any setback that life may throw their way. Your child is safe with you, so the worries about their health and safety are gone. Enjoy lunch with them, turn chores into a game (age dependent, of course). We spend most of our lives rushing home, our happy place to enjoy time with our children. Now for that day you are home and safe, exactly where you want to be.
In the end, your longer commute or your work-from-home-day can be either negative or positive, and that is up to you!
Becky Morrison is a Nurse Practitioner based out of Calgary who has specialized in mental health for over a decade. She is finally, after years of infertility, a mother of two busy little boys, and doting fur mom of her gentle giant, Stella. She is, and always will be, a strong advocate for mental wellness at all ages.
