How are you doing? Do you know?
With all that’s going on in our world right now, have you stopped long enough to tune-in to your own life? Feelings? Needs?
The Loss is Real
We’re all in a state of disorientation. Trying to make sense of what a world pandemic really is. Attempting to understand what it means for each of us.
I know that many of us are in state of mourning. We’re awakening to the loss of opportunities and experiences that were to be a part of our spring/summer 2020. Of course, the loss of opportunities and experiences pale by comparison to health and life, but they are still elements that will likely require a level of grieving. Work and education. Sports seasons. Spring performances. Vacations. Graduations. Face-to-face human relationships. And a multitude of other pieces that would have made up the weeks and months before us.
The optimist within me wants to jump ahead to the opportunities that this kind of major life disruption might allow for. But that feels disingenuous to the moment. A post for another time.
Tune-In to You
So maybe, for today, it’s enough to simply encourage you to tune-in to how you’re feeling about everything right now. Tune-in to what you might be in need of.
Allow yourself the time and space to feel your feelings and understand your needs. As we begin to adjust to life oriented by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and the call to drastically re-adjust our lives for the time being, we will find ourselves with more time and space than many of us will know what to do with.
Now is as good a time as any to tune-in to your life. As challenging as it might be, especially if this is not something you do very often, I think it will be a necessity to navigating these uncharted territories in healthy and helpful ways.
If you are new to this idea of “tuning-in” to your life, allow me to offer a few ideas:
- Limit distractions – Turn off devices. Find a quiet corner. Slow down your outside so you can become more aware of what’s going on inside.
- Pay attention – Again, if this is a new practice to you, paying attention to your own thoughts and feelings can prove to be a real challenge. Anticipate this taking time to learn how to do.
- Remember what you’re looking for – As you begin this process, expect to be bombarded by a wide-range of things that could capture your attention (and sidetrack this process): things you need to do around the house, lists you need to make, people you need to talk to, etc. For the moments you engage in this practice, do your best to look for the “gold.” What are you feeling? What are your needs? If you are struggling to get passed those distracting thoughts, a helpful tip I’ve used is to keep a notepad next to you, jot down the thought or idea that won’t seem to leave you alone, and then move on. Give yourself some grace in this process, but be persistent.
- Be consistent – Finally, be consistent in this practice. You don’t have to do it for long periods of time. What’s important is that you regularly take time to tune-in to how you’re doing and to discern what you need – right then and there.
Friend, you are not in this alone. As you begin to awaken to what’s going on inside of you, reach out to friends and family and share your life with them. Then invite them to share their life with you.
Loss is real. Grieving is a process. Community is essential.
