As I write this today, we are heading towards more freedom from this quarantine. For some, this Safer at Home experience hasn’t been too bad. For others, it’s been PAINFUL. For countless people, the fear of illness and anxiety about both unknowns and losses have been tormenting.
We are truly in unprecedented times…
GROWTH
Extreme changes often force growth–and usually activate anxiousness along the way, too. However, seeing a whole picture can sometimes reduce that anxiety a bit. So I invite you to think about and journal about the following.
- What are the skills or topics that quarantine has made you grow in or about?
- Are there things you learned about yourself during this?
- What has surprised you about yourself while in this time? About others?
- Can you name two intentions/practices you’d like to keep as we return to non-quarantine life?
GRIEF
While immersed in growth, there has also been so much grief. It ranges from the obvious (e.g., health, lives lost, normalcy) to seemingly “little” things. Though, no loss is little when it feels big. It’s probably pretty safe to say that we all had loss.
Instead of denying or silver-lining your icky feelings and experiences that have come from this time, I invite you to name them and feel them. Believe it or not, it might reduce anxiety to own your experiences.
- Are you willing to explore and identify your losses? If yes, maybe list them. (Please try not to judge your items as big or small, as worthy or unworthy of your grief. Don’t compare or minimize with “Well, someone else had it worse.”)
- Then allow yourself to feel whatever comes up.
In Conclusion
There is no way around emotions. We cannot avoid them. We cannot eat or diet them away either. Even when we distract, they patiently wait.
Emotions and feelings have to pass through us and then release us. When we fight having feelings, they seem to chase us and catch us at inopportune times. Have you ever burst out crying or yelling and then thought, “Why the heck did I do that?”
Whatever comes up for you emotionally, it will pass through you. Emotions are like waves—they come in and out, some are tsunamis and some or tiny wakes. But as they come in, they will always recede, too.
