Working from home is no joke. It takes a whole lot of discipline and focus not to slack off, and it's even harder when you have a household to run 24/7. I never used to have this problem when I was working freelance, because I kept my own time, and I did not need to report to work remotely and try to keep focused for at least 7 hours in front of the computer, working on deliverables.

Just recently, I am not one for working a full time job at home. There's more pressure in trying to balance both work and domestic responsibilities. On the third week of home quarantine, I finally realized that to focus on myself. I need to take care of myself so I can take care of everyone else around me.

So, for Day 5's Goodbye Anxiety prompt question: What can you prioritize this week that will help you feel less overwhelmed? My answer is pretty simple. This week, I am prioritizing myself. Ever since the lockdown and the enhanced quarantine, I have been trying to balance my time at work, time for myself, and time for the kids all at the same time, wanting to do everything on my own. That first week was hell, the second week was spent more on a pity party, and this third week, I am going to try a new approach to cope: I am going to prioritize myself.
I started the week with going back to daily exercise and eating healthier. I have been doing yoga and meditating before I start my day. I've noticed that when I am in a healthy mindset, I get to take care of everything and everyone else around me.

For the past two weeks, I have come to realize that I have been taking care of everyone around me except myself. Maybe that's why I got a fever and some body pains, it could have been physical and mental exhaustion. But for the past three days, I have been feeling more hopeful, grounded, and organized -and less irritable.

"Most of us are taught from an early age that being selfless is a good thing, and there are many proven benefits of altruism, to both our mental and physical well-being. However, sometimes the messaging we receive to be giving of ourselves, to push ourselves to the limit, be productive, and forgo our needs can be taken to an extreme in our everyday lives. If we’re not attuned to who we are and what we want, we can start to make sacrifices that don’t just hurt or limit us, but actually negatively impact those we care for." - Psychology Today (Read the full article here.)