BREAKING NEWS!
NCAA cancels winter championships and all spring sports.
Non-essential businesses to close.
Musicians cancel spring and summer tours.
Schools close and shift to online classes.
Shelter in place orders extended.
The last couple weeks have caused a whirlwind of breaking news . As COVID-19 spreads across the United States, our sense of normalcy shatters. Around the world, many have lost jobs or had hours reduced. Businesses and schools are closed. Events and concerts are cancelled. We have been forced out of our comfort zones and into isolation.
It’s taken me a while to sit down to write this. I would start writing then I’d hear another news update or get another email about an event I had tickets to being canceled or postponed. For a while, it felt like I had to start over each day with processing everything.
I’ve now reached a point where I know staying home and taking precautions is what we have to do, if not for myself, to help protect those most at risk and essential workers in healthcare, and the service and shipping industries. If by staying home I can keep from landing at the doctor’s office or cause someone else to get sick, then I’m okay with staying home.
Breaking My Comfort Zone
Admittedly, my comfort zone hasn’t changed as dramatically as others. I’m an introvert, so I don’t go out socially as much as my extrovert friends. From a work standpoint, I’ve been home for a while anyway (long story). And since I live alone, I only need enough food and supplies for myself and my foster cat. However, I do miss dinners with friends, attending performances at my local theatre, and cheering for my Nebraska Cornhuskers during the spring sports seasons.
With that said, I’m not immune to what’s happening. I’m sure some will disagree, but just because I’m not balancing kids’ online learning and working from home doesn’t mean the stress of all this won’t effect me. It just comes in different forms. I might not have the expenses or responsibilities of those with families, but being on my own means I am even more isolated. I’ve been home now for over two weeks. The only humans I’ve seen in person were the grocery delivery guy and the maintenance man my apartment complex sent to fix my toilet.
The Single Life of Isolation
Living alone means spending a lot of time in your own head. I am not often openly emotional or anxious; however, I spend a lot of time thinking about things, and often, overthinking them. Naturally, with all the unknowns right now, my brain is in overdrive.
Because I have no one to immediately discuss information with, all the news became noise. It got stuck in my head, and I’d be awake half the night wondering what I’d wake up to the next day. With no close family in the area, I thought about how I’d get help if I did get sick. I worried about family and friends who work in healthcare and those who have lost jobs. I thought about teacher friends scrambling to adapt lessons and provide resources for parents.
The voices in my head are getting rather loud these days.
Focus of Control
As events got canceled and cases popped up in my area, I shut down for a while. Initially, I focused on whether I had what I needed to stay home. Once that was taken care of, I shifted to following national news updates and press conferences from local officials. As a result, my comfort zone filled up with questions.
But over the last week, I took breaks from news and social media more often. I spent more time reading, doing spring cleaning, and getting back into hobbies. I’ve also felt a renewed creative energy and am working more on writing projects.
In my day-to-day processing between that first week and now, the biggest change involves focusing on what I can and can’t control. When we’re forced out of comfort zones by the unexpected, we feel even greater stress than when we willingly make changes. By focusing on things I can control, I can better manage those feelings of uncertainty.
What I Can’t Control
- The virus and medical science
- Stores and businesses being closed
- Other people hoarding supplies
- When things will start to get back to normal
- What government leaders do and say
What I Can Control
- Taking appropriate precautions
- Turning off the news and social media
- Talking to friends and family on the phone or online
- Supporting local businesses by ordering food, products, and gift cards
- Adjusting my physical space through decluttering and organizing my apartment
- Writing and editing projects
- Going for walks or sitting on my deck to get fresh air
- Playing with my foster cat
- Reading and other hobbies
- Catching up on podcasts I’ve missed
What’s Next?
The coming months will be filled with a lot of unknowns. But my hope is that some good that can come from this.
While not having normal routines challenges us, I hope that people will realize busyness isn’t a badge of honor. Constantly being on the go, having kids involved in every activity, and hardly ever being home isn’t actually normal. Getting back to family activities and having real conversations with people should be the norm.
Also, I hope this crisis encourages people to embrace rest and having fun. Yes, we need to work and go to school. And there are times in life when we will be busier than others. But with mental health concerns becoming more prevalent, and especially after this lockdown ends, I truly believe people need to find more ways to rest and enjoy non-work/school activities. Playing games, taking naps, and reading for fun should not be luxuries. They are necessary parts of our overall health and well-being. Get back to old hobbies. Pull out a book you’ve wanted to read. Play soccer with your kids in the backyard. It’s okay – and frankly, necessary – to take time to relax and play.
How To Take Action Now
Unfortunately, it will be months before we fully get back to normal. Until then, look for ways you and your family can bring a little comfort back to your comfort zone.
- Have a routine but allow for flexibility.
- Let kids have a hand in creating educational activities and picking books they want to read.
- Support local businesses by buying gift cards or other products online.
- Call friends and family to make sure they’re okay.
- Limit the amount of time you watch the news and follow social media.
- Get off screens for a while each day – read, listen to music, play board games, go for a walk, get back into an old hobby.
- Spend time each day processing everything – journal, pray, meditate, etc…, whatever your choice of quiet time looks like
THANK YOU and GOD BLESS all our healthcare workers, and those working to keep stores supplied and stocked.
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