Right now we are surrounded by so much fear and uncertainty. Life doesn’t offer anything predictable at the moment. Despite our best efforts to carve out some kind of structure and routine, curve balls can hit as at any given moment. To be fair – they already are.
Everywhere you look people are adjusting. Working from home. Exercising from home. Teaching from home. Socialising from home. Shopping from home. Self-care from home. Life is being lived via a screen. Our only outlets are daily walks or runs.
So much change. So much adjustment. And every week it changes. We are continually told new information. We are constantly waiting for the next set of instructions. We all know why we are doing it, and we are all committed to keeping ourselves and others safe. Yet that doesn’t take away the challenges we face.
Right now, there is so much isolation. There is such an impact on psychological wellbeing. There is so much fear and uncertainty around us. People have lost their outlets. There sense of human connection. The ability to touch, to hug, and to be close to loved ones. That sense of belonging. The essence of community. Its all changed. Its all been taken. There is so much overwhelming loss.
So what if right now all we need to do is survive??
Therapeutically we often talk about keeping it in the day. We focus particularly in recovery on taking things one day at a time. This is so important – now more then ever.
Right now we cant plan too far ahead. We can’t make decisions about social events, holidays etc. We can’t plan when we will see our friends or family. There is so much distance and so much sadness. We do not know when we will be able to do these things. And as Christmas showed us all. It is too painful to plan and then have those plans taken away from you.
Even day-to-day things can change. While we may try to put routine and structure in place the rules and guidelines are constantly changing. As are the lives of those around us. Nothing is certain, nothing is set in stone and that is leaving people with an overwhelming sense of vulnerability.
- Maybe now is not the time to set yourself new goals.
- Maybe now is not the time to put immense pressure on yourself around things like food, drink or exercise.
- Maybe now is not the time to plan too far ahead.
- Maybe now is not the time to stress about the things you cannot control.
- Maybe now is not the time to set new targets.
- Maybe now is not the time to say yes to everything.
- Maybe now is not the time to work to excess
- Maybe now is not the time to worry about not getting it right
Maybe now IS the time to focus on your survival.
Take it day by day. Slow it right down. Focus just on today. Think about what it is that you need today. What would help you right now? What would make things more challenging right now. Remove as much stress as you can. Strip it back the basics.
- Make sure you eat regularly.
- Listen to your body and give it what it needs – everything in moderation.
- Take time for yourself – even half an hour can make such a difference.
- Slow down where possible.
- Switch off from social media when you can.
- Switch off from the news when you can.
- Communicate when you want too – but be quiet when you want too.
- Be still when you can.
- Get outside and take in nature.
- Remember to breathe. Even If your sick of hearing that. Its so important to focus on it.
- It isn’t always that easy to sleep. But try to create a routine that enables you to rest and re charge as much as possible.
- Focus on the things you are grateful for.
- Reach out when you need support.
- Do something that makes you smile every day.
- Re charge those batteries as much as you can.
- Above all – be kind to yourself.
And remember – right now, life is about survival. It isn’t about excelling. It isn’t about perfection or achievement. It is simply about surviving.
We can’t calm the storm. But we can calm the way we respond to it.
