Yesterday our governor extended the stay at home order for our state through May 4. I knew it was coming, but I’m not going to lie. Seeing it in writing gave me a knot in my stomach. And I realized that there is a small, irrational part of me that wakes up every morning hoping for news that this is all about to be over – quickly. And that news just isn’t going to come. This is something we have to see all the way through. Sigh.
And in the midst of all of this, it can seem trivial to care about so many things that seemed so important a few short weeks ago.
I mean who cares if we’re comfort eating and zoning out more and letting things we care about go? The world feels like a dumpster fire right now. Health, the economy, being separated from loved ones. We’ve got way bigger fish to fry – right?
Exactly. We’ve got big stuff to face. We have people counting on us, whether it’s our partner, our children, or our neighbor.
We are needed. Our health is needed. Our ability to show up and serve as our best version of ourselves is needed.
We must find a way to not just exist, but to live in these new circumstances. Because they’re going to be our circumstances, at least for a while. We’re not going to wake up from this, we’re going to make our way through it until we get to the end, and none of us knows exactly what that looks like.
The lifestyle we adopt during these tough times matters. We’re not just spending a few days at home. We each are developing our new (albeit temporary) lifestyle.
We shouldn’t expect superhuman behavior or some sort of “perfect” coping. We’re all going to have tough days. And sometimes our best is going to look like numbing out with a bowl of ice cream or stress eating the leftovers.
What’s worth scrutinizing right now isn’t each little choice you make. There will be a mix of positive, and not-so-helpful ones. We’re all doing our best. What’s worth examining is the trend and the overall direction of your choices and whether or not they are serving your best interests.
We’ve all gained a bit of experience with this new Covid-19-prevention lifestyle. Now it’s time to ask what’s working and what you have too much or too little of in your daily (and hourly) life.
Too much news?
Too little interaction?
Too much comfort eating?
Too little joy?
We didn’t choose this, but we have a journey to take here, and now’s the time to evaluate your trajectory and ask yourself what adjustments you want to make over the next week to better align yourself with what’s best for you. What can you add or subtract that will help you better be who you want to be?
If this week felt hard, I hear you. If you’re not loving how you’re coping, try something different next week and see if it helps. One step at a time. We’ve got this.
Let me know how I can help,
