Two weeks ago I sent out a blog about my hair appointment getting canceled and joking how I was going to survive the few weeks till I could see my hairdresser! My how things have changed as now we are facing over a month of self-isolating and continued social distancing. The true, felt needs of others cannot be ignored – my heart and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones, and for all those whose lives have been adversely affected by this virus, more so than by social distancing and self-isolation alone.
I do not want to send a fearful blog about the dark days ahead. My role as a human (personally and professionally), has always been to champion in hard times and help others find their inner strength to know they can handle what life brings their way.
If your “in-box”, or any social media platform you use, is anything like mine, then I know you are getting tons of information to help you through this situation, which has been a truly amazing testament to man(woman) kind! As the guidelines were extended this past week, a few thoughts entered my mind about what will we all do for the month ahead. (In fact, where I live, the restrictions have been put in place till May 4th)
If you can bear one more “how-to”, here are my thoughts and plan for the weeks that lie ahead.
- Perspective is everything: Truly, if you think about your life, this is not the first time you have had to be in a space of unknowing: a baby to be born, an interviewer to call you back, time spent with an illness of a loved one. We have all experienced this in our lives to varying degrees. You have done this before, you can do it again. Hardships will be felt on different levels, but if you have your health, a roof over your head, and food to eat, you are already doing better than much of the world’s population. As much as anyone, I do not like being confined to my house, (especially when the rain and wind are pounding outside the window), but I am taking the perspective that my having to self-isolate is not being done to me, but rather, I am doing this for myself, my family and for the sake of others. I am staying home, other than for necessities, to make sure I do my part so that this pandemic can move through our town, state, country, and the world, as quickly as possible. Understand that many will suffer worse than what you are experiencing right now.
- Another note on perspective: If you have never read Viktor Frankl’s “A Mans Search for Meaning”, now would be a great time. A concentration camp survivor, Dr. Frankle founded Logotherapy which makes the assumption that “life has meaning under all circumstances”. The best way to find meaning – especially in a situation we cannot change — is to change our attitude! A new meaning will often reveal itself by doing so. Always looks for the meaning!
- Create and keep a daily schedule: Remember those summer vacations from our young school days? Remember how difficult it was to go back to school in the fall after having almost no boundaries on our time? This situation will change at some point and you need to be prepared when it does. Whether you are off from your regular work schedule or working from home, it is not business as usual, at any level! Try, as much as possible to stick to a routine – shower, get dressed, eat at normal times, etc…
- Move, Move, Move, and watch what you eat!: It’s not just the daily frustrations that seem to be growing… Again, like the daily schedule, not only do you need exercise and proper nutrition at a time like this, you will be further disappointed in a month’s time if you used this homebound experience as an excuse to throw all your good habits away. Indulge for sure if needed, but don’t make it a regular thing.
- Do something different or learn something new: The sad part for me is that I don’t get to see my wonderful clients, but I can use video calls as a back -up. The silver lining, however, is that it has freed up the time I did not previously have to spend on learning new skills I need to enhance my business. Some of you might have seen my first video on IG which was a scary step, that I might not have taken if I wasn’t forced to find other productive things to do with my time. I am learning how to use video on several platforms, create courses with my years of learning, experience, and content, as well as learning how to touch up my own hair, while my poor hairdresser is home, home-schooling her three boys! 🙂
- Take the days (moments) as they come: These are challenging times. Try not the think in terms of how many more weeks we are going to have to withstand these guidelines for safety. As with anything that seems overwhelming and hard to bear, chunk it down. Set your sights on the week, and even the day. Stay in the moment as much as possible. I asked the question in my last blog “who do you want to be when this is all over?” That was even before I knew an additional month would be added to an already challenging request. Also:
- Meditate when you can (insight timer app)
- Get outside whenever possible
- Find the humor – the number of videos going around are amazing!
- If you feel like quarters are getting too tight, walk away
- Find healthy ways to manage your stress
- Look for ways to be of service to others
- Call a therapist or coach if you feel the struggle is too much!
I have been amazed daily at watching stories of how millions of people are trying to find positive ways to cope with this situation. I am loving the humor and funny videos people are posting everywhere as a means to stay positive and share that with others. Keep them coming! Life may never be exactly the same, (which may be a good thing), but life will resume some level of normalcy in a short period of time. Please continue to be safe, stay home as much as necessary, wash your hands, social distance and keep moving forward!!
Much love,
Jean
