2020, the year when “normal” changed

Jamie Poh Creative at our family session.

2020 was the year.

Like any entrepreneur, balancing life can be a challenge. After the final realization that I simply didn’t have enough hours in the day (thank you Aura McKay for the reminder), 2020 started off amazing -

• I reached my cap number within the first two months and was so happy to have my client list filled for the year.

• I pre-planned my whole year and blocked off time for shoots, editing, admin, work, workouts (gotta take care of yourself), and family.

• I am an annual vacation planner so our usual family getaways were set too.

Local family helping out the community.

Then COVID-19 cases started appearing on the westcoast. My husband and I had just returned from our weekend getaway and suddenly our social and families started wondering about what was going to happen next. Number of cases in Vancouver started climbing. Within days, businesses were temporarily closed, schools were closed, and my days were spent working from home. I fell into the category of parent/office worker/teacher those first few months.

With hopes that all this would end soon, we held on to my photography bookings and our family vacation bookings. Eventually as time passed, things got postponed or cancelled. We stayed close to home as we waited for things to change.

Zoom art classes with friends

During those first months, my friends/family and I stayed connected through Zoom meet ups, art classes, and cooking classes. I wrote daily schedules that mimicked school days to ensure my son kept up with his reading, writing, and math skills but also spent enough time outside to play or help in the garden. My husband became a stay-at-home dad again running interference when my son wanted to get my attention during the work day. It was a bit of a hectic time but we felt we got a grasp of how our daily life would look like for that time being.

Then things paused as summer came upon us and it began a process of finding ways to continue being that office worker but replacing my teacher role with that of a summer activity coordinator.

The COVID-19 curve started to flatten and hospitals reopened for non-urgent surgeries. That’s when I received the message that I was going to have gallbladder removal surgery within 10 days of the call. It was a rush for me at my day job and so happy to have a great team to work with. I am thankful that the procedure went well and the healing was done in 4 weeks.

So what now?

It’s now September and the school season has begun for university and school-aged children here in Vancouver. We have chosen to send our son back to school and realize that in doing so, we have committed ourselves to the school bubble limiting our social circle once again.

The rate of the number of COVID cases is still climbing and unfortunately I do not see a quick end to this as we go into our 7th month of living with the virus here in our city.

I have learned more about myself and about my family. I have learned that I can work from home and still be productive and appreciate the fact that I no longer have to spend time commuting to and from home gifting me more time to spend with my family.

I also know that this time has been difficult for many. It is difficult when you can’t hug your favourite people or spend time with them in person. As much as video conferencing can bring people together, screen time or Zoom exhaustion can definitely take a toll.

Taking care of me

My husband and I escaping to a small Southern Gulf Island resort for our anniversary in the summer.

In any situation, I discovered that taking care of yourself first helps you conquer anything.

An active lifestyle, a good sleeping schedule, and good eating habits is a great recipe for keeping yourself together during these times.

Having someone to talk to is also a great thing to have if you don’t have that at home. Reaching out to talk to friends, family, or even a professional can help you cope with what is happening around you and give you the tools to stay strong and healthy both mentally and physically for both yourself and your loved ones .

There will be an end to this, I’m sure… we just have to be patient and vigilant to keep our community healthy and safe until that time comes.