Care and Compassion During A Pandemic
This pandemic has been a load of crap, AMIRIGHT? Unless you were already living off the grid, you are probably like most of the country who has been feeling this extra load of stress, uncertainty, fear, and the tension of our entire country, scratch that, WORLD. It sucks. Jobs have been lost. Our lives are different. Every day is different than it was a year ago. So many LIVES have been lost.
This year is not normal. Maybe you wake up feeling lost or unsteady. There has been so much change all around us. We are all wearing masks, facing employment issues, not seeing loved ones face to face, not working face to face, and maybe you’re like me and you made a HUGE MOVE to a very different place. It all makes you feel disconnected. Sometimes I feel stuck in between my old life and this strange new life that feels like a stiff pair of new boots. They’re hard to put on and even harder to take off!
But no matter what you’re feeling, you always have a choice. You have a choice of how to respond to the feelings you’re experiencing. You have a choice about WHO you’re going to be, and WHAT you’re going to do.
Options: 1. Do nothing. 2. Do something. If you’re like me, and you’re the type who wants to do the next thing to propel you forward, here are some steps to take to help you regain your footing.
NAME IT. What exactly are you feeling? How did you get to feel this way? Name it out loud. Maybe write it down or call and talk about it with someone. Self-awareness is critical to be able to move ahead. Whatever you feel, name it and bring it out of your body and into the world so you can do what has to be done to change the feeling.
MOVE YOUR BODY. I cannot stress the importance of not sitting and wallowing. When you move your body, there is an energetic shift. That negative emotion trapped in your body needs you to move to be able to get it out and change your emotional state. IDEA: log in to your BCB membership account (or create one) and aim for just a few minutes of one of the workouts or classes. Bet you’ll end up doing more than you think! You will walk away thinking more clearly, have more optimism, and see solutions for yourself. And you might sweat a little!
DO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY. Do one thing that makes you happy. Do you like flowers? Go buy some. Do you love to bake? Go preheat the oven. Do you like to rock in a rocking chair in the sunshine? Pull up a seat.
DO A BRAIN DUMP. Journal it all out. Put pen to paper with thoughts, emotions, questions you would like to know the answers to, gripes, complaints, gratitudes, and situations you’ve been replaying in your head. I like to ask questions for my brain to figure out such as, “What would the perfect week look like for me personally and professionally?” “What is the universe trying to teach me right now?” “How can I use this situation to grow?” And hope that my subconscious will be searching for these answers as I sleep or go about my day.
REMIND YOURSELF: THIS IS TEMPORARY. Remind yourself over and over that whatever you are going through will not last forever. It is temporary and life will get better. This moment is temporary. These feelings are temporary. Truth is, our very lives are temporary.
And most importantly, don’t stop dreaming. This is where the magic happens. When you give up on your dreams, you give up on yourself. You have to create something new to look forward to. Put something on your paper that you desire for your future, something that calls to the core of who you are, and gives you something to look forward to. Envision yourself doing the things that you dare to dream. See, hear, smell, taste, and feel it. Enjoy it before it’s even happened. Dream Big, friends! You were created to give the world the unique set of gifts that only you can give it. Dream, and get started!
