While We Wait: Battling Mental Exhaustion
I’m sitting in my home office looking out of the window as I write this. The sky’s virgin blue hue, along with the unobstructed sunshine has me feeling better today. I’ve always considered myself to be someone not easily overcome by emotion, but I’ve got to admit, the quarantine has got me in my feelings. I don’t know if it’s the forced isolation or the constant reminder of chaos that has created this uneasiness. I often wonder how this situation will end and if I think about too deeply, my head begins to hurt. I don’t know what to make of any of this, really. This experience has certainly been a challenging one for all of us.
I’ve filled my days with lots of movement to keep me feeling alive. My wife and I now enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner together on a daily basis, which was something we weren’t really able to do often. My little sister came over to stay with us during this time so we can ride it out as a family. I’ve gone outside and jogged. Sometimes up to three times a day on several occasions. I’ve read books. I even picked up the dusty PlayStation 4 controller just for kicks. I’ve written too, of course. But what do you do after you’ve watched all of the Netflix programs, surfed the internet all day and read just about everything you can get your hands on? You begin to realize just how much COVID-19 has changed our lives.
At first I shied away from following the news posts religiously, but later found myself refreshing the page every few minutes, days later. I’m not much of a television guy, but I’ve got to admit, I did watch Tiger King, the Netflix docuseries that has caused quite a stir recently. If you haven’t seen that, you’ve got to see it. It’s crazy, I’ll just say that. With the Governor’s recent Stay-at-home order, we’ll all have to find creative ways to keep ourselves sane while we wait. I know people feel like their going insane being at home all day. That’s just our reality at this point in time.
Despite what we face today in our present time, I think finding healthy ways to cope with the emotional and mental affects of this situation is paramount. I’ve gotten myself in a little grove and I’d like to share what I’ve done so far to keep my self at bay. While I’m not successful at this everyday, I hope this helps you immensely.
Morning Quiet time: In the morning I purpose in my heart to spend some time alone with my thoughts. Often, that includes jotting down notes, prayer and also working on my next book, There’s Somethin’ about Love. Sitting alone in silence can be therapeutic and it helps me get my day started with minimal distractions such as phones and email. I often reflect on the prior day which helps me plot my path forward in regards to what I need to accomplish for the day. It’s a great way to level set with yourself.
Healthy Eating: Almonds and Spinach is normally my go to, but I’m not going to lie, I had lemon pepper wings and pizza the other day. Being home more often easily leads to snacking and over indulging from time to time. Let’s be real, eating right is tough. In fact, if I may, I’d like to forget my whole birthday dinner while we’re on the topic of food. Eating bad every now and then isn’t a crime but we have to be more conscious now that many of us are home through out the day. It’s getting real!
Get Moving: Walking for at least thirty minutes is good for the soul.I actually enjoy doing that more than jogging some days. It feels good just hitting the pavement and smelling the fresh air. It does wonders .
Check on loved ones: It’s easy to get caught with what’s happening in our lives. Sometimes we can lose sight of the people we care about who may also going through things. We all need each other. I try to reach out to my folks by sending messages and picking up the phone. Calling someone just to see how they’re doing can make a person’s day. You may be the voice they needed to hear to bring some comfort to their lives. Letting people know you’ve thought about them will do their heart some good.
Count thy Blessings: We’re all incredibly blessed, although sometimes it may not feel that way. But if you took a few minutes to really think about where you’ve been and what you’ve overcome, you can’t help but to be grateful. Each day I like to think of a couple of things I’m thankful for. It keeps me humble and grounded. Also by counting our blessings we’re able to pin point ways of being a blessing to others.
Expanding the Mind: We’re never too old to learn something new. I love to spend time reading and watching informative programs. There’s nothing like broaden my horizons. I’ve learned so many new things over the past few weeks.
Perfecting Gifts: Each of us were born with a set of unique abilities that we can use to make the world around us a better place. We should all use this time to move our lives forward, and that means something different for each of us. Dig deep within and think of what you do naturally. Your natural abilities can be gifts to others. You’d be surprised how you can touch the lives of others with things you already love to do.
Dream Big: There are times I reserve to just think of all the things I want in life. I dream of all the people I want to impact and how I want to change the lives of those around me. It helps me get clear about my desires and also what steps to take to make these dreams a reality. Have you been giving your dreams attention? Maybe there was a business you always wanted to start. Or you’ve had an idea you wanted to test out for quite some time. I encourage you to write it down and start planning. The time is now.
Hobbies: It’s a great time to pick up old hobbies that you might have been too busy for in the past. I know people who love to knit and now have time to pick it up again. Hobbies help to keep our mind off of what’s going on in the world. That small space in time where we can think of something else, is so helpful.
Smile: Everything’s going to get better. A warm smile can bring comfort to others who may feel anxiety about what’s happening. Our family needs our positive energy.
These are just some of the ways I’ve been coping. Feel free to share your methods. We can certainly learn from each other. Many blessings to you and yours. If you’ve been out of work or have lost a loved one during this time, my heart goes out to you. We will get through this time together. I’m sure of it.