I shook my head in shame and dismay at how disorganized my workbench always seemed to be, despite my best intentions. I thought to myself: “I wonder what would have to happen in life, for me to get this organized…” Little did I know that many years later I would find out exactly what it takes: a global pandemic. I don’t think that workbench has been as clean since the day it was purchased!
All this uncertainty in life has been combined with this very surprising resource that we don’t often come across in our society: time. The whole situation serves to create a lot of confusion and mix up things we thought were otherwise consistent. Most of us try to get home to spend some time relaxing. Now, we can’t get out of the house! Before time was at a premium and now there is a struggle to stave off tedium and boredom. Our perspective and our ability to choose makes a huge difference in how we experience a situation! Some of use are even feeling like we want to go back to work!
I have been able to work with people in many life transitions. Often the most challenging can be where we have an abundance of time on our hands. Most frequently this comes from either disability or retirement, but our current situation also seems to fit. I spoke with Lisa Lederer, LMSW and we found we had a remarkably similar list of ways we guide people during similar times:
- Get structure to your day! Start a daily routine to follow each day.
- Find balance in your routine with all areas, physical (exercise/sleep/eating), intellectual (reading/school work/writing), emotional (connecting with others through talk/text/social media/family games), spiritual (nature/religion/meditation) and fun (doing your favorite thing/activity/crafts)
- Limit exposure to news as this can begin to negatively impact thinking and emotional wellbeing. Pick one or two times a day to check in and then leave it.
- Strength and resiliency come through our relational connections. Help one another stay calm and focused on positives.
If this crisis is pushing you past what you feel you can bear, we are here to help! We are providing teletherapy services. Nervous about teletherapy or just want a few community resources, quick connection, or thoughts on how to cope? We are offering a free half-hour consult to help people through! Give us a call at 231-715-8466.