Preparing for and navigating through parenthood already poses challenges for many, but the COVID-19 pandemic has added extra layers of hardship and stress.
Actor Sarah Wright Olsen recently visited The Morning Show to share her tips on how parents can stay zen during the pandemic.
Olsen and fellow actor Teresa Palmer founded Your Zen Mama, a blog to share their experiences and tips on motherhood. The two have now released a book titled Zen Mamas on how to navigate pregnancy, birth and beyond.
There are different ways to help keep the house calm, Olsen says, adding that things like holding a picnic outside to get some vitamin D or taking a bath would be great ways to find time for yourself.
Read more:
Here’s how parents can get through tough moments with their kids during the pandemic
Additionally, she suggests creating a fun night of the week to make it feel different from a “normal” night indoors.
“We have a theme during the week where Monday night is word night, Tuesday night is story night, so we tell different stories from different parts of our lives,” says Olsen.
For parents who have been feeling a sense of loneliness, Olsen says she and Palmer have both found trouble in finding community within their own towns.
“During the pandemic, we’ve reached out to what has been a comfort to us: doing online baby classes or parenting classes or doing Zoom calls with our friends,” she says.
Read more:
A survival guide for parents struggling with virtual learning
Your Zen Mama has also created a community of women from around the world, Olsen adds.
“I think it brings a lot of comfort when you’re reading stories about people that are going through the same thing as you that don’t necessarily live right down the street from you,” she says.
Watch Olsen’s full interview with ‘The Morning Show’ in the video above.
