You know that thing you’ve been noticing in yourself? It happens when you check your email and get a barrage from all the companies and organizations, most that have no real bearing on your life, on how they are handling COVID-19. You turn to the news, social media, or whatever format you choose to digest information these days. You find yourself searching for answers...
What is happening? When will this be over? Am I safe? What’s the cause? What’s the next thing that’s going to be cancelled? What can I do?
And the daily sinking does not go away, and that’s likely for this reason: emotions.
Some of us deny having them ourselves, some of us spend hours criticizing others for “not having them,” and still others of us say “we can’t let them rule us”. However we chose to view emotions before now, we may have thought we were doing a good job managing and getting by or over or through daily life.
But if this pandemic is showing us anything, at least in America, it is that we are not the most emotionally savvy country.
It is probably just as important during this time to take note of how to stay well emotionally as much as physically. Yes, hand-washing, social isolation and now mask wearing are important, but the conversation that is crucial to staying mentally, emotionally and spiritually well. These are issues that many are vulnerable to beyond the immuno-compromised, so it is time we do some gut checking on our emotional competency. Truth be told, these are probably things we all need to be doing anyway - there is nothing like a little “encouragement” in the form of a pandemic!
Today, after talking about being sad , being angry, and being afraid, as well as examining our limits, it’s a great time to turn to being intentional with our current life.
Be Intentional
Now that you and your family are likely home and if your workplace is closed or asking you to work from home, it is a great time to evaluate all things in your life not only that you are grieving, but also what you are not grieving. You read that correctly. Take a moment to see what you are not missing.
What meetings, work efforts, gatherings, or practices haven’t you missed in the past few weeks? What groups, weekly activities, or time consumers have you felt relief in having to let go of? This is a great time – perhaps a once in a life-kind-of-time, to take stock of the life you’ve built and truly simplify. Getting back to normal may not be the best thing for many of us. Maybe our “normal” is too busy, too meaningless, and too overdone. So if you are looking for something you can put your mind to, maybe look at all the things you normally “do” and stop some of them.
With space you make, it is also a good time to start some new things. Maybe you are having more intentional time with family, or recognizing what relationships are really important. Maybe this is the new normal you need to stay in, not return to. Be intentional about and use this time to build the life you would like to continue living.
Today’s challenge: Take a moment, reflect, and consider what you might like to let go of once things “return to normal”, as well as what you would like to keep going.