Ah, 2020. What a strange ride it’s been thus far. I, like many of you, have been at home now since my last day of work on March 16th. Since then, my sense of reality has slipped and I’ve tried to grasp this new “normal” that we are all facing. I wanted to put into words some of the things I’ve been feeling because it’s been so helpful to me to know that I’m not alone in my thoughts.
1. Do Something Nice for Yourself Every Day
I am a firm believer in the phrase "Treat Yourself". Although that looks different now, I have been trying to do something that is good for my mind and body every day. Some days, it's letting my body rest by not getting off the couch and binging my favorite show. Some days, it's sparking my creativity by practicing my hand lettering on my iPad and shooting at home content for my Instagram. I have never been the type of person who loved to exercise (see here for proof). However, I have found that working out has been the best stress reliever for me during this strange and uncertain time. I am not very good at focusing on the day by day aspect of life, and always find myself stressing over the bigger picture. But when I'm out enjoying the sunshine on a walk with my dog, shooting fun content or sweating in a live workout class, everything slips away and I'm able to focus on bettering myself. I'm thankful for platforms like Obe Fitness and trainers like Alex Scolari for allowing myself to be a badass fitness queen without even having to leave my house.
2. Show Yourself Grace
There is nothing I love more than a good routine. Creating a color coordinated schedule and crossing things off my to-do list gives me a high like no other. I started out this quarantine period trying to stick to a strict routine. I never wanted laundry to pile up, I washed and dried the dishes as soon as they touched the sink, and I tried to control anything that I could in order to make myself feel "normal". That slowly faded and I fell into a slump. I didn't want to do anything, nothing motivated me and I spent most days overwhelmed that I had things I wanted to get accomplished but I just couldn't bring myself to do any of it. Thats when I sat down and looked at the stress I was inflicting on myself. Since the world wasn't running the way I was used to, I tried everything in my power to keep up the hustle. I don't do change well, and the lack of normalcy really got to me. Now, I give myself a list of things I can get done each week. I make myself a schedule based on my online teaching and if I'm signed up for any workout classes and I go from there. If one day I'm not feeling up to completing an extra activity, it stays on the list until it gets completed. There is so much uncertainty happening in the world right now. People are sick, people are losing jobs and livelihoods. It is so hard to cope with the ever changing world, especially when it is out of our control. Every day, I have been focusing on controlling what I can control, instead of obsessing over small things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I am being patient with myself and showing myself grace so that I can grow through what I go through.
3. Be Kind
Simply put, be a good person. You do not know what other people are going through. People are scared. Circumstances are unprecedented. Life is fragile. Be thankful for those who are working to keep us safe. Think before you speak, help others if you can and spread kindness.
If you're reading this, thank you for taking a trip inside my brain. Know that I am here for you if you need me, and I hope you and the ones you love stay safe and healthy.
