We’ve all experienced a change: What matters is how you handled the change. Does the Corona-virus have you feeling like you’re spinning out of control, or are you able to take all of the significant abnormalities in stride?
Practicing good self-care and knowing your triggers are two things that helped some fare better than others. I’ve talked to people who said they felt like they wanted to come unglued during the height of the lockdown, while others said they liked the slower pace of life and they enjoyed working from home.
In between those two outlooks were people who suffered mentally, emotionally and/or financially. Some people ate or drank their way through the pandemic and still haven’t hit the brakes, while others confided that they felt deeply frustrated and helpless by the changes and situation that was thrust upon them. We’re all individuals and we all react differently to stress: some expressed feelings of guilt, shame, and regret because they were surprised by their reaction to overeat. Others were stunned to learn that they drank far more than they could have ever guessed that they would.
Self-Care
Self-care is an important element in a well-balanced life. When we fail to take care of ourselves, even small upsets can cause havoc. What we may not realize is that self-care is wedded to our overall mental health. One of my favorite self-care tips is to spend time outdoors. I always feel better after being with the trees. I love to hear the birds and feel the breeze on my face. Take a few deep breaths of fresh air and allow yourself to let go.
Old tapes that tell us we’re not worth it have to be smashed. Other tapes that tell us self-care is selfish is a lie. We need to take care of ourselves so we can be there to help others. We are no good to ourselves or others if we’re worn-out, stressed-out, and burnt out. In order for us to function at an optimal level, we need balance in our mental, emotional, and physical health.
Are you standing on the precipice of disaster due to destructive behavior or thoughts? Do you know yourself well enough and are you honest enough with yourself to tell yourself the truth? Change always disrupt comfortable old patterns, but if we stay open, new birth and new growth sprouts from change.
Change happens when we let go of illusions of control and allow things to unfold as they will. People struggle because they want to hold on—be it to a familiar person, routine, or even dysfunction. It’s human nature to gravitate to what is comfortable rather than to gravitate to what’s good for us. Security is an illusion. There are few things in life that are secure, and if this pandemic hasn’t taught us all that then I’m certain nothing will. If we haven’t learned to roll with what comes and remain malleable in our thoughts and actions, we have missed the lesson.
The thing we must guard against is any sort of rigid thinking. Life is a series of changes. What did you learn from your season of lockdown? Keep in mind, it was and is a season. Did you embrace the change or fight it? We’re you distraught most of the time or did you find some peace?
When life happens, look at as an opportunity to assess your coping skills and attitude toward life in general. The best thing that we can do for ourselves and our families is to learn to roll with what comes, and it is much easier to take things in stride when we first, take care of ourselves.
Lisa Boucher is the award-winning author of “Raising The Bottom: Making Mindful Choices in Drinking Culture.” She has contributed to notable publications such as Shape Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The Fix, and is a frequent guest on numerous syndicated radio and podcast shows where she talks about addiction, alcoholism, childhood trauma, and how we can heal. A recovering alcoholic, she has been sober for thirty-one years and understands the complex nature of addiction. A registered nurse, Lisa believes that traditional healthcare does little to incorporate the mind-body connection, nor does our current culture appreciate the healing power of nature.