How can you practically practice self-care when there’s more to do and fewer resources to do it with? How can you graciously practice self-care when you don’t have time, money, or a place to go? What does it look like to be supported by your friends when you must socially distance? 

I’m so glad you asked.

There’s a reason you feel more overwhelmed than ever, meaning there’s no better time to practice self-care than in the middle of a pandemic. Because you’re a woman who doesn’t just want to survive this crazy season, you want to thrive in it. 

In this episode, we’ll dive into:

• The mission of self-care
• Waking up your support team
• Three areas where you may be struggling
• And three mindsets to practice self-care with grace.

Our struggles fit into one of three areas:

1. We are struggling logistically
2. We are struggling emotionally
3. We are struggling in our thought-life.

Here are questions to ask yourself when you need help identifying the problem.

To determine if you are struggling logistically, ask:

1. Do my days feel orderly to me or do I feel like our schedule is out of control?
2. Does our family life have a Lord-of-the-Flies vibe or do my people know what’s coming next and what the day looks like?
3. Do I feel like a hamster running on a wheel -- I’m tired at the end of the day but feel like I made no progress?

To determine if you are struggling emotionally, ask:

1. Am I not as in-control as I’d like to be right now? 
2. Does my heart beat fast when I think about all I have to do and how I’m going to manage it all?
3. Do I dread people asking me how I’m doing because I don’t even know where to start because I feel like a mess?
4. I’m an introvert. Am I spending time plotting how to escape a houseful of people?
5. I’m an extrovert. Am I spending time plotting how to reconnect with other people? 

To determine if you are struggling with our thought-life, ask:

1. Am I upset that I don’t have time and space to process all these changes? 
2. Am I frustrated that I’m needed every minute of the day when I need downtime?
3. Do I yearn for stretches of silence just to think? 
4. Does the world feel overly-loud right now with news reports and social media?
5. Are my thoughts overly-critical and remind me of all the ways I’m failing? 

• God is on board with you caring for yourself. 
• You don’t have to stay stuck in discouragement, hopelessness, fear, dread because you have resurrection power in you.
• Caring for your soul means receiving the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
• Be kind to yourself. You’re doing the best you can in the hardest of circumstances.

• Reflect app
• Pause app
• Free 5-day Inner Critic Challenge: Text InnerCritic to 33777
• Subscribe to the newsletter here

Bonus Episode #3: How to give yourself grace as you parent through a pandemic

Bonus Episode #4: What to tell your kids about COVID-19, how to get your kids to open up, and ways to keep calm

• GraceInRealLifePodcast.com
• Instagram
• Facebook group
• Facebook page

Joining the Grace In Real Life podcast today is licensed professional counselor Shey Reichenau. Shey is a mental health therapist with Forever Hope Counseling & Educational Services specializing in working with children and adolescents.

And she's here to help us answer these questions:

• How do I talk to my child about the coronavirus and all that's going on in the world in an age-appropriate way?
• How do I help my younger kids have the language to share their feelings?
• How do I get my older kids to open up?
• What can we practically do to mitigate the sibling rivalry that keeps surfacing?

We dive into these questions and more PLUS Shey shares valuable resources with us at the end. And what she says when I ask her about how we moms can maintain a calm attitude will be on repeat in my head for a long time!

"It's okay to have trial and error." - Shey Reichenau

"There's no such thing as a perfect parent." - Shey Reichenau

• CDC.gov
• Child Mind Institute
• PBS.org

These are products we use. I am not prescribing them, but wanted you to know what we've personally found helpful.

• Natural Vitality Calm: "Helps support healthy magnesium levels and supports a calming and unique relaxing experience." The girls use this powder to quiet their minds naturally so they can relax and go to sleep.
• Feelings Chart: If you have littles who don't have the vocabulary to share exactly how they feel, pointing to this chart can help.
• Genexa Calm Keepers: All-natural supplements that help lower anxiety.
• Weighted Lap Pillow: It's cuter than a weighted blanket, but helps calm and soothe people
• White Noise Machine: Helps relax our people
• Need help with sibling rivalry? Check out this free resource by author Becky Kopitzke.

• GraceInRealLifePodcast.com
• Instagram
• Facebook group
• Facebook page

Joining the Grace In Real Life podcast today is licensed professional counselor Shey Reichenau. Shey is a mental health therapist with Forever Hope Counseling & Educational Services specializing in working with children and adolescents. 

And she’s here to help us answer these questions: 

• How do I talk to my child about the coronavirus and all that’s going on in the world in an age-appropriate way?
• How do I help my younger kids have the language to share their feelings?
• How do I get my older kids to open up?
• What can we practically do to mitigate the sibling rivalry that keeps surfacing?

We dive into these questions and more PLUS Shey shares valuable resources with us at the end. And what she says when I ask her about how we moms can maintain a calm attitude will be on repeat in my head for a long time!

“It’s okay to have trial and error.” - Shey Reichenau

“There’s no such thing as a perfect parent.” - Shey Reichenau

• CDC.gov
• Child Mind Institute
• PBS.org

These are products we use. I am not prescribing them, but wanted you to know what we’ve personally found helpful.

• Natural Vitality Calm: “Helps support healthy magnesium levels and supports a calming and unique relaxing experience.” The girls use this powder to quiet their minds naturally so they can relax and go to sleep.
• Feelings Chart: If you have littles who don’t have the vocabulary to share exactly how they feel, pointing to this chart can help. 
• Genexa Calm Keepers: All-natural supplements that help lower anxiety. 
• Weighted Lap Pillow: It’s cuter than a weighted blanket, but helps calm and soothe people 
• White Noise Machine: Helps relax our people
• Need help with sibling rivalry? Check out this free resource by author Becky Kopitzke.

• GraceInRealLifePodcast.com
• Instagram
• Facebook group
• Facebook page

How does the gospel -- the good news of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension -- intersect with our real life? What impact does Jesus have in our daily life? How does Jesus make any difference in the roles we play as moms, sisters, friends, employees, and volunteers?

Jesus acted on our cries to rescue us.

God gives you grace and He delights in you.

• God gives you grace when you want a checklist.
• God moved on your behalf and He did all the work to save you.
• God gets angry when you -- His precious daughter -- are surrounded by evil that hurts and oppresses your heart.

How does the gospel -- the good news of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension -- intersect with our real life? What impact does Jesus have in our daily life? How does Jesus make any difference in the roles we play as moms, sisters, friends, employees, and volunteers?

Jesus acted on our cries to rescue us.

God gives you grace and He delights in you.

• God gives you grace when you want a checklist.
• God moved on your behalf and He did all the work to save you. 
• God gets angry when you -- His precious daughter -- are surrounded by evil that hurts and oppresses your heart. 

How can we be gracious to ourselves in real life? What does living in grace actually look like? Is there a secret sauce that makes us less harsh and more kind and compassionate toward ourselves? How can we receive the grace God so freely offers us?

In this episode, we walk through three grace-giving mindsets so you can live out of grace in real life. Let's put the inner critic and unkind thoughts about ourselves away. Let's show ourselves some compassion!

Here they are three truths you can put on repeat to live a grace-filled life:

1. I am a rookie.
2. I am a human.
3. God is trustworthy in all things.

• Dr. Susan David's Emotional Agility
• The Good Place

• GraceInRealLifePodcast.com
• Instagram
• Facebook group
• Facebook page

How can we be gracious to ourselves in real life? What does living in grace actually look like? Is there a secret sauce that makes us less harsh and more kind and compassionate toward ourselves? How can we receive the grace God so freely offers us? 

In this episode, we walk through three grace-giving mindsets so you can live out of grace in real life. Let’s put the inner critic and unkind thoughts about ourselves away. Let’s show ourselves some compassion!

Here they are three truths you can put on repeat to live a grace-filled life:

1. I am a rookie. 
2.  I am a human. 
3. God is trustworthy in all things.

• Dr. Susan David’s Emotional Agility 
• The Good Place

• GraceInRealLifePodcast.com
• Instagram
• Facebook group
• Facebook page

How can you practically parent with grace during a pandemic? What does that even look like? And how can you do it in real life?

In this episode, you'll learn

1. Seven mindsets to encourage you and give you grace
2. What's working for Team McCormick
3. and receive a blessing over you

1. You're allowed to feel what you need to feel.
2. Remember you've never been through this before.
3. You're not doing home-schooling wrong.
4. What you're doing counts.
5. You don't need to compare.
6. Treat your new schedule as a science experiment.
7. Don't beat yourself up.

• Text the word INNERCRITIC to 33777 to take part in the FREE Inner Critic Challenge
• Reflect app
• Angry Mom free download

How can you practically parent with grace during a pandemic? What does that even look like? And how can you do it in real life? 

In this episode, you'll learn 

1. Seven mindsets to encourage you and give you grace
2.  What’s working for Team McCormick
3.  and receive a blessing over you 

1. You’re allowed to feel what you need to feel.
2. Remember you’ve never been through this before. 
3. You’re not doing home-schooling wrong. 
4. What you’re doing counts.
5. You don’t need to compare. 
6. Treat your new schedule as a science experiment.
7.  Don’t beat yourself up.

• Text the word INNERCRITIC to 33777 to take part in the FREE Inner Critic Challenge
• Reflect app
• Angry Mom free download

What does God say when we fear?

How are we supposed to operate in the unknowns that have become our new norm these days?

We'll unpack three areas today:

• Fear -- what it is, where it comes from, and how it manifests itself

• What God says about fear
• What we can do to practically live in grace during a time of global fear and anxiety

In my newsletter that will go out on Thursday, March 26, I'm sharing verses that will help you in times of stress. If that sounds like a newsletter, you'd like to receive once a week, just go here.