Boldly Facing Uncertainty
Hello friends,
I debated for a while whether to write this post or not, which usually means, for me, that I should do it. Truth is, we, like many of you, have been scrambling to find the new normal while we live through this global, COVID-19 pandemic.
My husband and I sat down the other night, and talked about everything that was going on. It’s scary stuff — and it’s okay to admit that it’s scary, the unknown always is. We are facing a situation that has not been seen in our lifetimes. And some of the most shocking and unpredictable developments have been the human behaviour in our communities (hello, toilet paper hoarding, anyone?)
This, honestly, has affected me more than the threat of the virus has.
But on a grand scale, our global response to the pandemic has been nothing short of humbling. And I have incredible respect for the brave doctors (and health care staff), scientists, and political leaders who have been making incredibly difficult and unprecedented decisions with swiftness and compassion. We’ve also (toilet paper aside) shown incredible compassion and caring for our fellow human beings by respecting our safe ‘social distancing’ requirements, and people choosing to self-isolate when they get symptoms, instead of continuing to go to work. (With the baby home from daycare, and not bringing back countless bugs, I actually feel healthier than I have in a long time!)
What I really wanted to talk about today, was something I have heard a lot of people talking about, and that my husband very eloquently put into words:
There’s this big crisis, and I feel like I need to be out there, helping, doing something, but I can’t. And I just feel useless.
I think it echoes what a lot of people are feeling (or will feel once the excitement of staying home all day fades), which is that we are facing a global crisis, something not seen in a century, and there is very little we can do as an individual.
I see it though, as I tend to do, as an incredible opportunity. In a FB Live emotional clearing of the virus (check out the replay here), I came to understand that there are big lessons to be learned in regards to connection and working together.
To get through this pandemic, to flatten the curve and reduce the overall number of illnesses and deaths, we each need to do our part. It’s a small part, it feels like we’re doing nothing, but our part is to stay home.
With that knowledge, I think we can face this current crisis with confidence and certainty. (I mean, how often is it in our adult life that we are handed a guidebook on exactly what we are supposed to be doing).
To help us face this situation boldly, with confidence and certainty, and feeling good while we do it, here are 5 unspoken thing we should all be doing, in addition to social distancing.
1) Be a Leader
It’s important that we all recognize we are leaders. Maybe we are not the ones making the big national or global decisions, but we are leaders to those around us: to our family and friends, to our kids, to our co-workers.
In times of uncertainty, we are all looking around to see what we should do, and we are looking to the people closest to us.
Even when chaos is erupting all around us, we have the power to choose how we show up. So choose to show up in a positive way.
If you show up with this intention, others will follow your example. You can help more than you know by remaining calm and rational.
2) Trust the Experts
Normally, I am one to vouch for independence and ‘letting your freak flag fly,’ but not today. I mean, still do those things, but within the recommendations and guidelines laid out by our provincial and federal leaders.
This is a serious situation, and lots of very smart, very well educated people, are working very hard to make decisions that benefit all of us. We need to trust that these people have our best interests at heart, even when decisions are being made that we don’t understand. (Remember, if we handle the pandemic the right way, nothing will happen, and it will feel like we all stayed indoors for no reason at all, when in face we saved lives.)
This is also a great exercise is surrendering, in learning to go with the flow. Remember how often in our lives we have cried out wanting a guidebook or to know if we’re doing it right. This time, we are being told exactly what to do. So do it. And enjoy the mental holiday.
3) Reach Out and Connect
More than ever, we are going to have to be very mindful of our connection. As human beings, we are social creatures. We crave connection (our ancestors needed to be part of a tribe, or they’d be eaten).
Social distancing comes with many benefits but one huge risk factor: loneliness and isolation.
If not for you, then for your loved ones, make an effort to reach out to others on a regular basis. We are lucky that we live in an age of technical wonders, and services like Skype and Zoom, and apps like Google Duo and Facetime, exist to help us connect more than ever before. Use them.
(Some friends and I moved our usual game night from an in person affair to a virtual one using Zoom last week, and it was as much if not more fun (certainly easier since all the kids could go to sleep in their own beds!))
4) Look after Yourself
Don’t forget to keep doing your Success Tools. It’s easy to think that the world is in chaos and that those oh-so-necessary things like exercising or showering aren’t important anymore, but anything we can do to keep our sanity and our sense of normal routine is going to be very important in the coming weeks and months.
It might also be a good time to take on or explore some other wellness habits, like meditation or journalling.
We are in social distancing to protect our physical health, but it comes at the risk of our mental health. I don’t say that to induce fear or worry, but to provide awareness. And our wellness strategies are going to be more important than ever.
5) Have Faith
And finally, have faith. I don’t mean religious faith, I mean faith in humanity. We can choose whether we will have hope or expect disaster, and we will perceive every event in the coming weeks through this lens, as either proof that humanity is good and will be able to band together to overcome this, or proof that everything is falling apart. It’s your choice.
I choose to have faith in my fellow man, and I invite you to do the same.
A few other posts that might help you through these uncertain times:
The Basics: Are You Doing These 5 Easy Things to Boost Your Happiness?
12 Strategies to Deal With Those Days You Just Can’t Deal WithBeing in Control and Going with the Flow
Until next time, friends, stay safe and look after one another in these difficult times.
2-3 Love to you all!
