7 WAYS TO STEP INTO YOUR NEW NORMAL
The idea of life after quarantine has me thinking a lot about what being truly free again will feel like. When the pandemic slammed into our lives in March 2020, it hijacked our daily routines and replaced them with sanitizer-drenched workarounds. And now, at last, there’s a light at the end of this thing, which is encouraging to most of us, but some may be feeling nervous about the transition. We’re deeply conditioned by now, and trying to undo a year’s worth of internalized patterns sounds scary as hell. this last year, most of us experienced major stressors; the stress of isolation being a big one. after living in a stressful state for some time now, we have to figure out how to enter back into our lives in an effective manor. with that, i want to offer you my top seven ways to step into your new normal.
at this point in time, it’s hard to think about the future because everything in the last year has been up in the air. from cancelled concerts, to rescheduled weddings, we’ve all given up trying to plan our lives. so, if you’re in the present moment and you’re thinking about what is directly in front of you right now, this gives you something way less overwhelming to focus on and gives you a little more control. (what is control anyways?)
practice being in the present moment. think about what you’ve got to get done within the next hour.. within the next day.. make them practical tasks and don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t check every single item off your to-do list.
I love a good plan, and definitely love a good planner, but at the end of the day, we know that there will always be things that are out of our control. the thing is, you can only control what is within your control. There’s a lot of peace that comes with realizing that everything out of your body, is out of your control. so try not to stress about external factors.
this goes without saying, but every single one of us has a unique situation, and are often fighting our own battles. it’s truly so important to be sensitive to how we react to others. even if you feel like your situation is worse than someone elses, take a moment to take a deep breath, listen to them, and hear them out without judgment.
i pose this question to you: What’s something you used to love to do that you just can’t imagine doing again? something that allows you to live your best life? in this last year of isolation we have felt depleted. we’ve had limits put on us. we have had structure either taken away, or put in place. there are certain things in our lives that may not fit under the umbrella of what isolation had allowed us to do. so now as we are gradually getting acclimated to life post quarantine, i want you to think about what stirs your soul. what allows you to live your best life?
just like anything in this life, give yourself some grace. for over a year, we have been under a big question mark of how we are going to be able to live our lives and what changes we are going to need to make in order to live happy, healthy lives. be patient with yourself during this transition.
what i’ve recently adopted during quarantine, is journaling. a lot of times i zero in on gratitude. I find it puts the big picture into perspective. if you’re like me, my thoughts are going a million miles per hour lately and a lot of times that, in and of itself, is anxiety inducing. the beauty about writing is, is that you can put your feelings down on paper, reflect, and move forward. think about what it is that is going to help you move forward in a place of gratitude.
we’ve been isolated for so long (ugh, sorry to keep reminding you), that as we re-enter, it is incredibly important to have connections with people. we as humans are designed for connection. even if it is not in person yet, a phone call or a text message can go a long way.
as i close out here, i leave you with my 7 ways to step into your new normal. remember to take your time.. with new habits and new behaviors, we’ve changed; that’s a fact. as you navigate what this “new normal” is, i challenge you to take a breath and to think about what you were like when you first entered into isolation, and have fun discovering who you are as you emerge into society once again.