Alexis Senge JohnsonYou know what’s weird? Trying face masks on your kids to make sure they fit in case you end up in a bind and have to take them out to pick up essentials with you. It’s hard to explain to the kids and even harder to see as their tiny little eyes peaking out from above these adorable masks. I’m lucky that a loved one made them out of cute fabrics so the kids will like them, but this is still weird and I’m not going to walk around pretending otherwise.
It’s okay to acknowledge that what’s going on is out of the norm. We don’t have to bury our heads in the ground and go about our day with a false sense of normalcy. It’s okay to be uncomfortable with how things have changed. It’s also okay to try to find the bright side of things so that you stay out of a downward spiral of depression. It’s okay to acknowledge your feelings about everything, go ahead and honor them as it works for you and then decide it’s time to find something that allows you to wake up on the positive side of things.
For me, although working from home during this is like chaos 24/7, I’m thankful that I at least still have income coming in and that I am able to work from the patio where I can watch our boys splashing around in the inflatable pool that we bought in a moment of Amazon weakness about four weeks ago. I’m also thankful that not commuting to work, or doing my full hair and makeup routine (because why waste all the products right now), has allowed me to gain time first thing in the morning to workout before I’m too burnt out to do so. I set myself a goal during this to make the habit of honoring what my body needs and I’m hoping I can keep that up when “normal workdays” return.
However, this didn’t happen overnight. I think the last two month have tested me more than any other time frame I’ve lived through so far. I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I didn’t eat my feelings out in homemade cinnamon buns that my husband surprised me with. I certainly did and I’m wearing the stretchy pants right now to prove it. There is a point though where you have to decide that you’re going to continue wallowing or you’re going to put your big kid undies on and move forward.
Are you ready for that yet? Are you ready to find some kind of happiness coming out of this weirdness? If not then give yourself the time you need, but when you are ready it’s time to start looking at things differently. Start setting positive intentions for your day and tuning out as much negativity as you can. Turn off the news for a bit, stop scrolling through the sad posts about all of your fellow friends, coworkers and acquaintances that are without work at the moment and decide what you’ll do to help yourself come out of this stronger.
“True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in a belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” – Brené Brown
You’ve been gifted an opportunity to sit back, take a breath and decide what you might like to change in life. An opportunity to see your immediate family, partner or roommate more instead of overcommitting yourself to work around the clock. You have a chance to come out of this and start a new path, new relationships (virtually of course) and new habits. When you’re ready, think about what you want your future to look like and start to make little changes now that will make a big impact when stay-at-home orders are lifted and you’re free to go about your day again.
