You may have seen my free goal setting class. I’m a goal-directed person, and because I work from home often, my schedule is much the same, unlike many of you. And I’ve heard from several who want to get better at setting goals and make this down-time as productive as possible. So, I wanted to go through with my plan to do a mini course for the second quarter.
But, I fully recognize that’s not where everyone is, and you may fall into one of the other categories of people. Some are doing well just to survive. Some of you have had massive changes to your lives and schedules with little to no warning. And it startled some people to find their normal schedule looks a lot like quarantine. And everywhere in between.
No matter where you are, or how this is effecting you, I want you to know that there is no right or wrong way to do this.
And it is okay, not to be okay.
But, it’s also a good idea to take measures to minimize the trauma that this may cause you. I will be writing more in the days ahead on some emotional challenges that many are dealing with, but today, I just want to focus on general principles.
Here’s my list of things that you might want to consider:
- Don’t watch the news – or choose one time/day or one outlet that you wish to follow to stay up on what’s happening, and only tune into that.
- Play peaceful and relaxing music. Instrumental worship music may work best for you, especially if you or others must work from home.
- Journal what’s happening and what you’re feeling. It’s a great way to process.
- Create – what brings you joy? I love to paint and to bake, so I’ve been painting every day, and have baked bread, cinnamon rolls, and cookies. I share with family, and freeze most of it, so I’m not eating it all myself.
- Exercise – if you can get outside, all the better! I’ve been working on getting my garden ready to plant and gaining the upper hand on the weeds in the lawn. I’m focused on doing small bits regularly, as opposed to large amounts just one day a week. If you can’t get outside, try to find one of the myriad exercise videos that are out there. Or just walk or jog in place for a while.
- Get outside. The sun is a great source of healing energy. If you can’t get outside, try to at least sit or stand in a sunny window for a while each day.
- Do something for someone else. I’m seeing several friends reach out to others in new ways. Some who sew are making masks and giving them to those deemed to be essential personnel. Some are checking in on their at risk neighbors and running errands when they get out. Some are being very intentional about reaching out to friends and family via zoom or Skype. Some are creating and taking part in community social distancing events such as bear hunts and easter egg hunts.
- Limit your exposure to social media. This can be even worse than the news depending on your friend mix. Also, don’t be afraid to unfollow people who are filling your feed with fear and drama. Or, you can snooze them for 30 days on Facebook.
- Don’t take this, or anyone’s list as gospel, or as a list of everything that you need to do. Everyone is different, and there may be other things that you can find to increase the peace in your life and home.
Realize that the last time the world saw such a global pandemic was 100-102 years ago. There aren’t many people alive who lived through the Spanish Flu, and those that did were very young. So no one knows how to do this. We’re all learning as we go.
Give yourself and others grace.
We will get through this.