Becoming Your Best You, COVID Style
It goes without saying that COVID-19 has changed our lives whether or not we were ready for it. The discomfort of uncertainty, the fear we might have felt or been a witness to in others, the anger and frustration that in some cases is misdirected. The overwhelming quantity of people all feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable at once is no doubt messy, but the stirred pot has a crazy amount of potential waiting for us to act.
Everything that was already in place for us, our potentials as humans in a western society, has been intensified in this time. Our places in the world have been forced to be re-evaluated, adjusted, tweaked or thrown out. It is time to rid ourselves from that which no longer serves us, collectively and individually.
I always emphasize the importance of individual focus (you) because that’s where it all begins. You can only change yourself, but through action and service you can begin to influence change in others. A whole, happy, functioning individual living their highest potential can better serve the world and now, more than ever, this is absolutely essential.
There will forever be known a time before COVID, and, well… now. It will be how we compare and look back on our growth because whether or not you wanted to, you were forced to change. Maybe you haven’t noticed it yet, but you will. You have been asked to change how you do things and how you think about things. We have gotten creative with connection, with exercise, with making do with what we have. Regardless of your personal situation, things are different now and the more you can accept this fact, the easier you can move on and begin to embrace your new self.
Like many of my friends, family and clients, perhaps you also decided to pursue a new job, location, or passion. It seemed like a great time to learn a new language or pick up a productive hobby. Maybe you (like me) spent several weeks staring at a wall, forgetting how to speak human, or perfecting the art of baking bread only to eat the whole loaf on your own because there was no one to share it with. Wherever you were on the make it or break it spectrum, it is in the reflection phase that we learn something about ourselves, however we handled our given situations.
It’s not so much what you did, but how you see yourself now from the lived experience of being holed up. Pat yourself on the back if you followed through on your plans to get in shape and to learn Spanish. That is no easy feat! Pat yourself on the back if you gained 15 pounds and made it through the entire Marvel series in chronological order. I’m serious, do it. None of this was easy for anyone, but you’ve made it to now. Now is the time for reflection. Ask yourself, how did I cope with my personal situation? What’s not working for me? What changes do I want to make now? …Bonus points for giving yourself a genuine pat on the back for feeling like you wasted time… There is no such thing as wasting time, but that is for explanation in another article. For now, let’s call it giving yourself permission to be okay with where you’re at.
Chances are, if you quit your job, ended a relationship, relocated, made any major life decision, you needed it in order to be true to yourself. This is the paradoxical beauty of things seemingly falling apart. Sometimes we need to be shaken up so we can fall into place… and all of us, together. Don’t settle for what used to work because it’s probably not going to serve you (or the greater good) anymore. Adapt, transform, grow. We are collectively on this path of a new way of living and we are all being asked to change at once. If we listen to and follow through with what feels right for us as individuals, this world will surely come out all the better for it.
Keep doing your awesome work. Here’s a few tools to keep in rotation to support your transformation:
connect with nature
journal, journal, journal
dream work (remote sessions available)
movement and somatic awareness
try something new
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gp
