Work/Life Balance as a Working Mom: Lessons from 2 Weeks of the Stomach Flu
How to manage when you have a sick child and work to do (and then you get sick too!)! 😐
• Originally written: 22 March 2023
• Last updated: 11 September 2023
• Written by Suzan Alakas, Growtharmony Founder and Editor-In-Chief
Icky GERMS from school = a sick child at home
It all started when we received a call from school asking us to pick up our older daughter, as she had thrown up at recess.
At that point we weren’t sure if it was something she ate, or the stomach flu, but then two days later, my husband started getting the symptoms, shortly followed by my younger daughter, and then a week later, it was my turn.
One by one, we succumbed as our bodies got weak and woozy, and then our digestive systems emptied forcefully. Water was all we could keep down - and soon enough, we were even nervous to drink that.
Our plans, schedules and lives got completely turned upside down.
At times it was so bad that I had to laugh:
Äk! These microscopic little things wreak so much havoc! (LOL!)
Having trained myself to look for the bright side of every situation, I marveled at the body’s ability to rid itself of unwanted visitors.
I was grateful for the roof over our heads, a very comfortable sofa, hot running water and a washing machine to clean everything up, and medical care available should things take a turn for the worse.
Other times I broke down in tears:
I asked the powers that be:
• What’s the lesson here? (Where is the rainbow?)
• Why is this happening to us? (to me?)
• Can I please just get some rest?
• My ChatGPT training is in a few days, when am I going to have time to market it?
Thankfully we all recovered and got back to our school, home chores and work routines, but the whole experience caused us discomfort on so many levels (physical, mental and emotional) that I did a full post-sickness assessment to avoid as much sadness, frustration, fatigue as possible for next time!
In true Growtharmonic fashion, I present to you my learnings from 2 weeks of the stomach flu running amok in our family - based on self-reflection, a focus on leverage, and a quest for balance in all aspects of life.
Here is what worked well for this entrepreneur mom, and I will be better prepared in case the stomach flu or something similar comes again!
(And please do feel free to take notes if something in my reflections sounds useful to you! ✨)
✅ A “Health is #1” MINDSET
Simply put, some things were cancelled, rescheduled or left undone.
For actively involved, work-from-home parents, sick kids means more time and attention is given to the kids. There is lots of extra cuddle time, more time spent playing in bed, more time prepping home remedies, etc.
Oh yeah, and less sleep.
I’m grateful that I have a calendar system with FLEX TIME allocated throughout the week for unexpected things, so I was able to move the most important tasks to the next week without disturbing too many other commitments.
Yes, I felt VERY frustrated with how little work I did during that time, but kept telling myself that there isn’t anything that trumps our health and well-being, so I prioritized taking care of our health and postponed the work. I was honest when communicating the change in plans to others, and EVERYONE understood that my focus would temporarily be away from them while I was getting us well.
[Side note: Had I still been working in corporate, I don’t think I would have been met with as much compassion as I do with my current clients. I am super grateful to be a stay-at-home mamapreneur, because there is much more understanding baked into this dual role! Plus, I have the flexibilty to take time away from working and manage my own schedule to accommodate illness.]
I managed to keep up with housework fairly well while the rest of the family was sick, but then when I got sick, things began to pile up (oh boy, those stacks of children’s books, overflowing laundry baskets, dirty pots by the sink, scattered crumbs under the dining table and giant dust bunnies)!
Dealing with aftermath (mess!) and catching up on postponed tasks took about 2 more weeks after we got better, but it got closer to normal with each passing day!
✅ Recovery FOODS - Broth and Soup
Having been on the GAPS diet for over year now to restore my digestive system, I am intimately familiar with which foods are easy to digest, those that are hard to digest, and ones that will likely cause discomfort.
While I wish I had had broth and soup in the freezer, at least I had soup-making ingredients on hand!
I believe that our transition from water —> broth —> soup —> eggs —> yogurt allowed our stomachs to ease back into eating normally again.
We felt progressively better as long as we avoided starches, sugars, non-fermented dairy and fish.
✅ Peppermint and Menthol ESSENTIAL OILS Helped to Reduce Headaches
I’ve never experienced a migraine, but this illness brought with it the most intense headache I’ve ever had - to the point where I kept my eyes closed for hours and wore sunglasses inside because even cloud-diffused sunlight coming in from the windows was so uncomfortable!
Desperate for relief, I remembered Huberman Labs had a guide to reducing headaches, and was elated when he shared a scientific study that proved the effectiveness of essential oils for headaches. I didn’t have the energy to look up the exact dosage from the study, but using similar dosages to other sprays and salves I had made from the Wellness Mama blog, I made a mixture of peppermint and eucalyptus oils and water, and made a compress to rest on our foreheads and temples.
The peppermint/menthol compress alleviated my symptoms in less than an hour.
Head relieved and mind blown! 🤯
✅ Breathwork, EFT (Tapping) and Mantras Got Me Through Paralyzing Nausea
Burying your head in a pillow, clenching your back teeth and curling into the tightest ball you can to ward off nausea, is an absolutely miserable feeling!
During the worst of my nausea, I turned my attention to my bodily sensations. I noticed that my heartbeat had quickened and negative thoughts were running rampant, which meant that my body was in a sympathetic nervous system state (i.e. panic mode). Deep breathing is the best way I know to shift back into parasympathetic nervous system mode (i.e. a calm, productive state).
To activate my parasympathetic nervous system, I alternated between:
A) Focusing on my breath and keeping my exhale twice as long as my inhale, and
B) The 4-7-6 breathing technique (breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7, and release for 6).
(My husband said that deep breathing helped him get through his most difficult moments too.)
Additionally, as I began to calm down my focus shifted from Ugh I feel horrible —> How do I want to feel? —> What can I do to feel better?, EFT came to mind.
I had tried EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) on and off for many years, but it’s only since my work with Christine Michelle Murray that I began to see and feel the profound benefits of tapping. Not only have I used tapping to release limiting beliefs and fears, but I’ve also used it to reduce and remove pain.
With a few rounds of EFT, coupled with Louise Hay’s mantras from “Heal Your Body”, I finally got some relief from the nausea.
✅ A Stockpile of QUIET ACTIVITIES Prepped and Ready for the Kids
Having been through several rounds of sickness before, I had been collecting quiet activities to keep the children entertained while in bed. Age appropriate books, activity books, legos and card/board games gave me time to catch up or rest (without being interrupted every 2-3 minutes)!
And yes, they did watch extra (edutainment) shows on the iPad too, but because there were so many other fun activities, screen time was kept to a minimum - probably only about 20-30 minutes, 2-4X per day.
In Summary:
So those are my successes as I balanced a sick child and being sick myself!
I hope you stay well this flu season, but if you don’t, I believe you can make it through the experience more smoothly with some pre-planning, mindset reframes and good old-fashioned TLC for your body. 💕
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If you’re curious about the long term impact of connecting with your children, check out our articles “Children Of the Sun: Part 1” in our Fall 2021 issue and “Children of the Sun: Part 2” in our Summer 2022 issue of Growtharmony Magazine.
To learn to be more aware of your emotions, read our article “It Started with a Horse” in our Summer 2022 issue about cultivating emotional awareness with animals.
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