Making the most of "Unusual"
Sometimes something comes along - one or more unusual events - and Business as Usual no longer suits the new conditions. Usual doesn't work, because things are Unusual. COVID-19 is Unusual, and each new mutation of COVID-19 extends Unusual still further. What worked before doesn't necessarily work now.
No choice: Forced to change
The health system has to adapt, government and policing have to adapt, business and society need to adapt... so it logically follows that families and individuals need to adapt too. We are forced to change some behaviour based on our circumstances, and yet we also have the opportunity to rethink our own Living as Usual based on our new environment.
We're certainly not commuting as much - many of us are not going to and from work, not dropping kids at daycare or school, not running around to extra-curricular activities. There's certainly less going out, no drinks after work. Shopping is for actual essentials, items we require to live - not for passing time, or giving us the hit of a new purchase. Due to the nature of our work, some of us may have fewer work or business obligations to meet.
We're being forced to be at home, with our families and household members. Some additional challenging conditions could include living alone, being in confined spaces with children or other family, or perhaps living with a person (perhaps more than one) who is disrespectful and/or abusive. Some of us may be struggling to meet financial obligations with inadequate work hours or sources of income.
Your choice: How you respond
The pandemic and the responses of the authorities have shaped this our situation, but we are in a position to choose how we respond to it. What can you do - at this moment, at each moment of the day, to make the most of your situation? If you are not on the edge of survival (and to some extent, even if you are), how can you make positive adaptations to your new environment?
Can you embrace the change, to spend more time with your partner or family?
Can you log-off, and put your devices down, to spend more time in the here and now?
Can you take a walk or exercise outdoors, ideally in nature?
Here's a challenge: Can you sit with yourself - with eyes closed, breathing deeply, listening to a meditation or ambient music (search Spotify or YouTube) - for 15 minutes in the morning, and/or before going to bed?
Could you invest 10 minutes at the end of the day, to simply write down how you are feeling, and what makes you feel that way?
Current choices determine your future
WE ARE living in unusual times, and though we haven't chosen them, we can choose how we're going to respond to them. We can choose to dwell in frustration and anger, or we can accept the situation, and use the time to get closer to ourselves, and those we live with, or envision a different future. By investing more time, love and focus close to home now, we can place ourselves on a better footing for the future.