My desk looks a little bit like my brain feels right now…
A clusterf%$# is really the only way I can describe how I have felt the last few days. I would love to sit here and say I am handling all of the craziness outside–the social distancing, the quarantining, the working from home, well, but I am not handling it all that well.
I stopped exercising. I stopped meditating even though I have more time than normal. I am eating the only food that is left in supermarkets. I have no schedule and yet, I am strapped for time. I am busy beyond belief and my printer stopped working so I am not sure how I am supposed to run a business from my home–and no one has changed their expectations in terms of what I am going to be able to accomplish in the coming time. Simply put, I am expected to do all of my work and the work of those I work with who cannot work from home (should I say “work” one more time?) and see no humans and not lose my mind.
I had to take a breath today. I had to realize that because I have literally no control of what is going to happen in the future that I cannot try and strangle the outcome I want to come to fruition. I have to start breathing and knowing that whatever comes I can tackle(and so can you).
As much as I hate to admit it…I cannot change the situation going on in the world. BUT I can do my best to stay positive when possible and breathe into the situation.
It’s only day two of most of our city being shut down and we don’t even have it as bad as some areas. I realized that if this is going to be our reality for a significant period of time (or any time at all) I need to find a way to cope and I thought maybe you do, too, friends.
So, I have come up with a list things I can do and I am leaving this list here just in case it might also help someone else.
I am setting a schedule for myself for weekdays.
I am going to shower and get dressed before I sit down to my computer to work
I am going to find a way to exercise be it running, be it walking, be it an online video–I will continue to get my heart pumping
I will make a game out of trying to figure out what to make for dinner with the random ingredients I have been able to find at the store
I will play board games and do puzzles
I will play games with friends that can be played on apps all together
I will reach out to one new person every day to check on them, maybe family, maybe an old friend, who knows!
As long as I am still allowed to leave my house, I will get up and walk around the block once every two hours
I will take time to remember what are actual deadlines and what are self-imposed deadlines and which of the self-imposed deadlines are good deadlines to keep and which are adding to my stress level
I will get up early enough to meditate, do my breathing and write in my journal (people, I have gained two hours by not commuting…what the heck am I doing if not these fun things!)
I will write some letters and catch up on my correspondence
I will not get mad at myself for watching a little more TV
I will work on getting through those books that have been sitting on my nightstand waiting to be read for quite some time
I will take 10 minutes to breathe when I start to feel stir craziness going on instead of picking up my phone and answering some more emails
I will remember that we are all doing this together, none of us are alone
My friends, these are 15 things I am going to do, not every day, but I think I am going to have some time to try them out. It’s a crazy world out there, but we have to remember, more than anything else that we are ALL going through this TOGETHER (well, apart, but, together). We can bond over this and share and try and churn a little positivity out of this. We can reconnect in ways we hadn’t thought to before.
I love you all, this is so tough and so weird and horrific, but we are going to see the other side. XOXO, be brave and be strong and for a little bit of time every day, please be positive, CAMDW
PS Don’t forget to giggle a little bit every day, too. Dog videos and cat videos on youtube are very helpful in this endeavor.
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