Being a parent during a pandemic is hard. Small children need constant attention, school-aged children need technology help logging in to class and staying on task, and some need help just getting out of bed in the morning and getting motivated. Working from home and juggling these additional responsibilities is trying. Now is a good time to recall the words of Glennon Doyle, author of Love Warrior, who wrote, "We can do hard things."

The pentagon of wellness supports an integrative approach by illuminating our physical, psycho-emotional-social, spiritual, intellectual and energetic states to create a full picture of wellness. Sleep, nutrition, hobbies, connection and movement are important, and for parents in the current environment, some or all are lacking.

One of the most important actions parents can do now is commit to top self-care goals. Announce it to the household and mark it on the calendar so everyone knows when it is time for reading, walking, meditating or gardening. When the time comes, stick with it like any other task on the calendar. Expect this to be difficult, because when there are so many things to do, it is very easy to forego self-care tasks. With practice, most appreciate the lift that a regular self-care regimen provides, and we may even find our family urging us to maintain our self-care routine.

Rachel Gorman, PT, DPT, OCS, PYT, a practitioner at Roper PT, has a strong interest in integrative medicine and studied medical therapeutic yoga through the Professional Yoga Therapy Institute. For more information, call 980-298-6706, email [email protected] or visit RoperPT.com.

Roper Physical Therapy - 301 E Tremont Ave Ste B, Charlotte, NC

Roper Physical Therapy is an independent private practice owned and operated by Christine Roper MSPT, PYT. Since 2003, our physical therapists have been offering quality,patient-centered ... Read More »