The situation we are in is pretty unsettling. Never have we lived anything like this and I know that it’s hard to get adjusted to this new way of living. Being stuck at home all day, with the same people, in the same space, not being able to go do whatever you want outside is strange. France has been on lockdown for 11 days as of this blogpost (check out my Instagram stories), and there are definitely days when I feel more anxious, sad and in my head. I think I’ll talk about how to stay positive and mentally balanced in a future blogpost, when I’ll have more tips for you as the situation goes on but for now, I wanted to talk about the positive aspects of this situation.
It’s very difficult, especially at the beginning to try to see the bright side of this situation. I find it very difficult not to get super emotional when I think about people affected by covid-19 whether they are patients, doctors, nurses, but also people who have to work for us and also people who therefore don’t get paid or lost their jobs and are strugling. Therefore trying to see a positive in this situation sometimes feels like downplaying their actions. But its not, it’s about making my role in this situation, which is to save lives by staying at home, easier. In comparison, we definitely have the easiest role. But it doesn’t mean that it’s easy. This pandemic is scary and unknown and therefore it’s normal to try to alleviate our anxiety around the situation and what’s happening.
We are forced to slow down
In the past few years, it’s been all about the hustle. Being busy. Staying busy. Always be doing something. Working a lot. Always being on the go. Always creating, doing projects.
And for some people, being busy is how they feel the best and happy. But for others, it feels like they have to keep up with the pace and it can be exhausting. But with 1 out of 3 people in the planet being on lockdown, it’s time to slow down. We are forced to stop living our usual day-to-day life and take a step back. I think that for everyone, it’s a bit of a shock. Everything feels uneasy, we don’t know what to do with ourselves anymore and there are different things to figure out (how to work from home, how to maintain social relations, how to entertain and teach children…). It forces us to live a different way of life, a slower one, a less busy one. And it can be very beneficial for us. It’s time to take a step back and reevaluate.
There is more time for self-care
Again, in this busy life the need for self-care moments have become more and more talked about in the recent years. Self-care is mostly described as moments of pamper, which is great and necessary. It’s a time to take care of ourselves and respect ourselves. We all deserve it. But it’s not just that, it’s also taking care of the inside. It’s meditating, reading, listening to podcasts, watching the TV show you’ve been dying to binge-watch but haven’t had time for. It’s playing with your pet, baking, cooking drawing, painting, playing an instrument, writing, playing a video game, … It’s literally about taking care of ourselves by being more in tune with our feelings and wants.
Even now as most of us are in lockdown, it can be hard to actually take time for us. But what about work? studying? my business? I’m not saying just practice self-care all day long, but rather when you feel the need for it. Make it a ritual, a habit. And if some days you need (and can) spend the day relaxing, that’s okay. We no longer have to commute, we can’t go to the gym and cannot go anywhere so there is more time during the day to care for ourself, so let’s make the most of it.
We can reflect on what really matters and be grateful
As life can be so faced-paced, filled with technology, things and stuff to do, it’s hard to take a step back and reflect on what really matters. I’m sure most of us do, in our own way, but this situation really emphasizes what matters for us and I think it’ll be important for us to keep that in mind after our lives go back to normal. It helped me realize how precious it is for me to be able to go and work from a coffee shop, to go swimming whenever I want, to see my friends and family. Working on my next big step of my life shouldn’t be rushed and that I should enjoy the climb.
I’m even more grateful for our apartment. To have a boyfriend who makes me laugh everyday and knows when I need a hug. For having a family to chat to when I need. For being able to set up my own business. Slowing down the pace has helped me make what matters and what I’m grateful for more defined.
In dark situations, we also tend to let go of negativity more. It doesn’t seem as important and being on lockdown definitely has helped me to say goodbye to some negative self-talk, to pay less attention to the naysayers, to realize that things that I put so much importance on actually shouldn’t. I have been able to really take a step back and be grateful for my normal life even more.
It’s a time for the projects and things you didn’t have time for before
If you have the time, and mental energy, you can utilize this slowed-down time to work on projects you’ve been meaning to work on. Learn the language, create the blog, record the podcast, write the book, learn how to use a camera, improve your sewing, think outside the box when it comes to how you usually do things.
Personally, as it’s harder for me to film with my boyfriend working from home and difficult to work on my new business, I’ve decided to do even more workshops and trainings from Grow&Glow. I found it difficult before to juggle everything, so now’s the time! I also think I’m going to improve my Spanish and Portuguese as I’ve been meaning to but haven’t been able to find the time before.
It can be a new fresh start for you, with a more positive outlook
The start of a new year often is the time for people to start fresh and more positive. But as the year progresses, it can get harder (especially with winter feeling like 100 years) to keep this mindset; but what this difficult time will have enabled us to get is a fresh start… for the second time! After living this hard time, it’ll be easier for us to be positive and see everything with a new lens.
Maybe thanks to feeling more grateful and after taking a look back you’ll be able to have a more positive outlook on your life. It may help you to have a clearer idea of what you want to do next, to make more decisions aligned with what you really want because you will have let go of the negativity.
Hopefully this blog post helps you to alleviate a bit of the natural anxiousness and negativity you may be feeling right now. I know that for me, most days are difficult and thinking this way helps a little.
Let’s all also thank and be grateful for the medical staff, people working in supermarkets and any other structures that has to stay open for us.
Blogposts that may interest you
My 6 ‘Working from Home’ Rules to Be Productive & in a Good Mindset
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