How to Move From “Survive” to “Thrive” In the Wake of the Pandemic
How many times have you said it over the past weeks? “When this is over…”
I’m guilty. I’ve said it a hundred times. I’ve thought it thousands. It’s the security blanket of these unprecedented times.
Maybe it’s a prayer we whisper before bed every night, praying to a higher power to take away the suffering.
Maybe it’s a mantra we repeat, hoping desperately that if we can think it, we can manifest it.
Maybe it’s the idea that keeps us going when we really want to say “Fuck it” and give up.
Maybe it’s just the salve that soothes, for only a minute, the chafing caused by global unrest.
Then that nagging, back-of-your-mind reality sets in.
Yes, someday this will be over … but life will never look the same again.
Our collective life changed when a new virus started to spread in China.
Since then, our individual lives have been turned upside down in so many ways.
Schools are closed. Our kids are home with us every minute of every day. Their education now rests in our hands — hands that are already juggling so many balls in the air.
The economy is collapsing. Uneployment is soaring. Those of us who are lucky enough to still be working are doing so with pay cuts and additional responsibilities heaped on us after our colleagues are furloughed.
And meanwhile, the virus that has brought the world to its knees continues to spread.
This is, unfortunately, the new normal … at least for now. A life bound by uncertainty, until there’s a vaccine or a cure — something that by nearly all accounts isn’t coming in a month or six months or even a year.
It’s time to stop thinking “When this is over…” and start thinking “How can I go forward?”
But how can I go forward?
I don’t have the answers. I’m still reeling too. But I do know this:
Right now, we are all sitting in our houses, waiting. Waiting and worrying and watching the news with bated breath. Waiting for someone else to give us the answers.
But even amid the anxiety, there is a choice.
You can choose to wait, inside, stuck.
Or you can choose to dig in, dig deep, and figure out how you are going to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
That’s what the months ahead of us will be. Uncertain. Uncomfortable.
But I’m sick of waiting. I’m sick of stress eating and Netflix binges and lying awake at night letting the weight of the world crush me.
I hate the feeling of uncertainty. But I hate feeling stuck even more.
Take advantage of the inspiration you can find in nature. A new season is upon us. It’s spring in Chicago at last: A season of rebirth, characterized by growth and blossoming after a dark and frozen period.
I’m choosing to put down new roots right here, in the midst of quarantine chaos, and grow where I am planted.
Don’t wait “until this is over.” Surviving can no longer be your only goal. It’s time to let yourself thrive again. Even if the soil is rocky and the sun isn’t as warm.
You already have everything you need to start moving forward. Focus on your reaction to current events instead of the event itself — your reaction is always within your control.
Make a list of 5 things you can do right now to navigate your new reality. Small things or not-so-small things, but make sure they are positive, sustainable and immediately actionable.
Need some inspo? Here are my 5 for May:
- Get everyone in the household dressed before 10 AM. Lofty goals here, right? For me, that includes my contacts and a bra. Make-up still optional but moisturizer and SPF are not. We threw routine out the window back in March and that’s not working for anyone anymore.
- Stop eating my kids’ snacks as meals and include one fruit or vegetable at each meal instead. To say I’m not eating clean right now is an understatement. I’m not targeting an Instagram fitness blogger diet right now, but I can make the healthier choice. The #quarantine15 is a cute concept … until it’s your body feeling the effects of bad choices compounding bad choices.
- Read two books. Instead of scrolling social media before bed, I’m picking up a book as my escape. Reading before bed helps me unwind instead of winding me up.
- Put down my phone by 9 PM three nights a week and by 10 PM three nights a week. Media overload isn’t helping anyone feel better. Unplugging and getting more sleep does.
- Publish one blog post per week. Creating is my lifeline and I let myself drop the rope because it felt overwhelming to do one more thing. But I create because I can, not because I have to. And I still can.
The underlying theme of moving forward in uncertain times is simple: Nourishment. Nourish your body. Nourish your mind. Nourish your soul. Nourish your loved ones. How you do this might look different from how I do this, but the end goal is the same:
Thriving.
What’s one thing on your list? Tell me in the comments below or connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Keep following for more ideas and inspiration for navigating the reality of #COVIDlife. And above all, be well.
