The last several weeks have been the craziest turn of events. We are currently in the midst of the Corona pandemic and our lives have been turned upside down. The craziest aspect of it is that the world is upside down. Not just me and my family, not just my family, but the world.
We’re currently in quarantine. In Washington state, we haven’t had mandated shelter yet like many other states have. But most of the state is shut down, only essential businesses are still open. I’m so grateful to grocery stores for still being open.
While the chaos has been swirling around us, I have to look for the blessings in this situation. I’ve never had the chance to sit down and self reflect like I have in the last few weeks. And that’s saying something, because I’m obsessed with personal growth. I go to conferences, I take courses, I journal, I read. But I’ve never been still. I’ve learned more about myself lately than I think I have in the last year that I’ve been focused on personal development.
- I’m not as much of a hermit as I thought I was.
I’m definitely an introvert. I enjoy being on my own and having time by myself. I work from home and talk to my clients via video chat, so that isn’t anything new to me. But what I didn’t realize is that I do rely on a lot of social interaction that I took for granted.
I went to the gym 6 days a week, multiple times some days. I had my Zumba class that I attended 5 days a week. I loved chatting with the trainers. Hanging with the other regulars in the weight room. My son loved the daycare – he spent an hour and a half, sometimes more, in there every day. I counted on that, he counted on that.
I didn’t realize how much I needed that and how much I took it for granted. I don’t think I’ll ever look at that time the same way again. I’m so ready to see all of those people again and tell them how much I’ve missed them. - I value clean space, and my mental health requires it.
I have never described myself as a clean person. Keeping things clean and tidy has always been something I’ve struggled with. A couple of years ago I read that the state of your space is the state of your mind. If the space you live in is cluttered and disorganized, your mind probably is, too. Off and on since then I’ve tried to keep my room clean. I say try but that really isn’t the right word. As Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try.”
But now that I’m quite literally forced to face the state of the space I’m in non stop, I see just how much it was affecting me. Since we’ve been stuck in the house, it’s impossible to miss just how much of a disaster my room was. My mind was definitely struggling, too.
So I finally did the work and cleaned up. I’ve been able to maintain it and I feel so much better. I’m much more creative, I have more desire and energy to play with my son, and motivated to be productive. It’s crazy just how much that impacted my life on a daily basis. - I’m much more productive with a solid routine
Before the quarantine, my son and I had a very loose routine. We went to the gym every day at the same time, he had a few appointments a week, and I had scheduled times I worked with clients. I felt like I was always running on empty and struggling to keep up with it all.
Since I’ve been in quarantine, I’ve forced myself to create more of a routine so I don’t completely lose my mind (and eat all of the food I bought).
I’ve been more productive in the last two weeks than I have in the last few months. My son has been in a better mood and is more interested in non-screen activities. I’ve been able to show up better for my clients because I’m no longer scrambling. I have actually had so much more time for myself, too. I’m able to spend more time reading and learning. I have so much more focus because I’m not wasting brain space on a million different things that need to happen.
When it comes to this quarantine, and frankly any other crazy situation life may throw you into, you can choose where your focus goes: positive or negative. It’s ultimately your decision. But what I know is that focusing on the negative doesn’t make the situation any better. It doesn’t help the people suffering, it doesn’t fix anything. Focusing on the positive can better my life and therefore those around me, too.
So I’m choosing to focus on the positive. I’m choosing to learn these lessons now so life doesn’t have to teach me them again later.
What have you learned during this time? What lesson is life trying to teach you?
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