Oh, hello there, coronavirus. You’d like me to work-from-home and parent-from-home and school-from-home? That there’s a TALL ORDER.

I’m not really up to the challenge. Mostly because I’m not sure how to fit ME time into this new equation. And momma REALLY needs her ME time.

Which means comfort-eating is the new ME time in my house. Our pantry is stocked with Nutella and Thin Mints and chocolate-filled trail mix. But you’ll be pleased to hear that I am trying to ration these delicacies out based on an experiment I tried a while back. (I mean, I can’t cavalierly go to the grocery store EVERY DAY, right?)

Lessons from a sugar-fast

One year, the month before Halloween, I gave up sugar. I made it 28 days. At which point, I was, like, screw it, I need to raid my kid’s Halloween stash. No 18-month-old should eat ALL THE CANDY.

I learned a lot during those 28 days. That I’m applying to my new ME time regime during Covid-19.

1. I really like donuts

They are tasty. Especially the cake kind. Especially if you pop one (or 3) in the microwave and melt butter on top. (Don’t you wanna donut now?)

I’m pleased that Krispy Kreme’s an essential business, although I haven’t headed over there yet because I’m not sure “comfort food” counts as essential travel. But when I go, I plan to wear a face mask to guard against eating ALL THE DONUTS before I leave the drive-thru.

2. I eat A LOT of donuts

Especially at work. So avoiding donuts during my experiment was really a lesson in perseverance. Especially if someone else was melting butter on one.

Luckily, no one from work has dropped off any donuts at my house, so I’m safe from this temptation. (They did deliver Bruegger’s bagels for my corona-birthday in March. Which was magical. Thanks, guys!)

3. Nuts are boring

I had to attend a day-long conference during my sugar-fast. When you sit around all day listening to people speak at you, you get hungry. Inertia makes you want food.

Conferences tend to serve the following during snack break: brownies, chocolate-covered raisins, GREEN bananas, and trail mix with m&m’s. And then, they offer plain nuts. If you’re lucky, the nuts are salted. But really the nuts are there to appease any fitness freaks who happen to walk by. I smugly ate the nuts and congratulated myself on how everyone now viewed me as the paragon of health. And then I grabbed a brownie and stuffed it up my nose – oh, the glorious smell…

Which brings me to today and the trail mix in the pantry. Trail mix contains NUTS. And unfortunately, that’s the only thing at this point. The small children who are quarantined with me and who are also comfort-eating have taken all the chocolate goodness out of the bag.

This calls for desperate measures. The next time the Amazon fairy brings a supply, I’m hiding it in the fridge under the carrots. No one will think to look there and maybe the cold will transfer the chocolate taste to the nuts through osmosis. (There’s a homeschool lesson in there somewhere.)

4. Mindful eating isn’t just for yogis

During my 28-days-sans-sugar, I discovered that whenever I was hungry (or smelled melting butter), I didn’t have to immediately jump up and go eat. I could listen to my body and make a conscious choice. Am I really hungry? Or am I just thirsty? Would a walk around the block distract me enough to make the craving go away?

These days, I still try to follow this line of questioning. Especially the “let’s go on a family walk” part. Because that counts as PE class.

But mostly I slap some Nutella on a piece of toast and call it “breakfast.” Even if it’s actually 4pm.

Because ME time is found in the little things during these days of pandemic. Like velvety, melty chocolate you can drown your anxieties in, while also taking a short break from your children and laptop. Because you’re eating it while hiding out in your bedroom closet.

What’s comforting you these days? Share your favorites below or comment on Facebook at MothersRest.

Photo credit: Nappy from Pexels