Now what? A response to the pandemic.
Spoiler alert: I do not have all the answers. I am in this same boat with all of you. Sitting with the fear, the sadness, the hopefulness, the worry, the gratitude, and everything in between. Like I said, I don’t have all the answers but I can share with you what I have been doing.
Full disclosure- I have another blog post about disconnecting to reconnect. Well, things have changed. In the current environment, I find myself having to connect to connect-my sessions are video only, my time with loved ones is video/phone, games with friends are all online, and even my workouts are online. It is a struggle for me to have so much screen time in a day but I am working to accept that this is how it is for now.
Here’s what I have been up to:
Doing my “normal” activities.
Doing online workouts – seems like everything is available online including the yoga classes from teachers I love which feels grounding and familiar
Taking my dog for a walk
Taking myself for a walk- the sun is still shining, the birds are still chirping, nature is still moving forward which helps me feel hopeful
Sitting outside
Painting
Meditation – either on my own or using some of the great apps out there or free sessions people are posting online
Making meals
Keeping in touch with friends/family (facetime, apps that allow you to play games virtually, even using zoom to do dinners with friends/family- I was amazed at how impactful it was to see the faces of the people I miss and I care about)
Keeping a routine
Even though I’m working from home, I’m trying to separate work time and home time. Specifically rearranging furniture to make my work “office nook” and then moving it back at the end of day
Eat meals at my regular meal times
Go to bed and wake up at fairly usual times
Be mindful of your social media and news consumption
It is important to be informed. And we can go overboard if we are checking posts or news constantly. Our bodies respond to fearful or intense news stories by activating the sympathetic nervous system. Our bodies can go into flight, fight, freeze in moments when we truly don’t need it.
Practice recognizing what is in our control and what is not.
NOT in our control: How long this will last, knowing what is coming next, the actions of others, what is available at the grocery store, the decisions people in power are making or not making
IN our control: Our attitudes, how we spend our time, how much news we consume, how active we are, self-care, offering gratitude for those who are still required to work in public spaces, social distancing and following recommendations of CDC and WHO (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html)
We are just doing the best we can and learning as we go. You aren’t in this alone.
Here are some links to explore while you are hunkering down at home:
Yoga with Adriene
Meditation: Insight Timer
Meditation: Calm