Why it’s OK to be OK

COVID-19 and social isolation have provided me with the opportunity to open my eyes.

This pandemic has forced me to slow down, to be authentically mindful, to be appreciative of family, of downtime, of myself. I have found a way to give myself permission to being OK. 

While I can appreciate that there are parents who face real challenges with maintaining a sensible work/life integration, domestic duties, and managing their kids my hope is to encourage them to find some time in the day to stop and reflect with purpose, to be intentional with thoughts and actions, and to do something for themselves.

There have been plenty of articles penned that highlight the isolation and desperation that everyone is feeling because of COVID. That kids are grappling with mental health issues more than ever before. Sort of like a pandemic within a pandemic. I'm not knocking mental health. Quite the opposite, really. 

COVID has allowed me to recognize all the reasons why I've not enjoyed wellness for so long. Over-scheduling and multi-tasking gave me a false sense of achievement and success. I used to wear "busy-ness" like a badge of honour. I used to beam with pride when I'd respond with "I'm so busy" to people who asked, "How are you?”.  I was irritable, spiritually and emotionally depleted, physically exhausted, sleep-deprived, sedentary and stretched. I first noted this reality five or six years ago and never took the time to pay attention.

Fast forward to 2020. We are confronted by a devastating outbreak of epic proportions. While the world is scrambling to come to terms with this deadly virus and find ways to unleash the new normal, I'm focused on how I can preserve some of the sanity that I have regained since this nightmare began. How will I be able to effectively juggle life once we are permitted to leave the safety of our homes?

While the world waits to exhale, I want to hold my breath just a little longer. 

Eventually, I know we’ll all come back to the surface and when we do it will be so important to keep the lessons we’ve learned alive and at the forefront of our daily living. In so many ways this has been a global wake up call to collectively and individually move forward with greater awareness and intention. That will require a continual practice of self-awareness and making positive shifts to living life more fully.

In my next post, I’m going to share some thoughts on how we can make that happen. 

In the meantime, I leave you with this quote from Rachel Carson who wrote so many wonderful books including Silent Spring.

“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?” ― Rachel Carson