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, being afraid, examining our limits, and being intentional, we will close out this little series talking about being purposeful with the time we do have now.
Be Purposeful
We are relational beings, and so it is difficult to imagine going weeks without much relational connection. The current pandemic is going to require many of us to feel our weakness - yikes! Again, something we do not like to do! After taking stock in everything, it’s a great time to reach out in purposeful ways, being purposeful with our time and with our words.
Who needs to be spoken too? Who needs to be thought of? Who’s having a hard time? Who can you tell that you’re having a hard time? Who can you help? Who can you ask to help you? This is going to be hard, but again, this is a great cultural moment for us to shift from just being busy, shifting to finding things to participate and be involved in that have a purpose. Bonus: it is also good for your mind and spirit to be thinking of someone beyond yourself and your circumstances. Today, consider someone else and in doing so, show consideration for yourself too.
In the end, we do not know when this will be over. We do not know how it will all go, and that is scary. Can we just be honest about this? Perhaps some true hope will come in our own honesty with ourselves and our emotions.
