We are halfway through one of the most bizarre years I have ever personally lived through. Celebrity deaths. Coronavirus and the Bubonic Plague. Civil unrest. A mess of an election. I mean, WOW.
It really just feels like nothing is out of the question this year. Like if aliens landed on earth and seized humanity, I wouldn’t even be surprised.
Clearly, nothing is going back to normal any time soon and that reality can be very disappointing.
No summer parties. No international traveling. No dating. No nothing lol.
As we all adjust to this new normal, here are my suggestions on ways to deal:
1. Allow Yourself To Feel
This is a wild time that we are living in and emotions are high. All types of emotions. Sadness, confusion, rage, and disappointment. My suggestion is to take time to sit with what you are feeling and process it.
Feeling disappointment is normal at a time like this and it’s okay to feel that way. Not to wallow in it, but to acknowledge it and understand why you feel the way you feel.
Knowing the what and why of your emotional state can better prepare you to manage it.
2. Understand Sometimes “No” Just Means “Not Right Now”
One of the ways I’m dealing with this year is holding on to the fact that it will not be this way forever. Even with as long as I’ve been quarantining and social distancing, it will not last forever.
Someday in the future, we will be able to walk the streets without masks. We will be able to attend concerts again. We will be able to travel. Knowing this gives me hope and helps me to put everything into context.
It can also be helpful to keep planning. Even if you can’t do it right away, the process of planning for the future can help to keep your hopes up.
3. Find Or Create Other Opportunities (AKA Adjust)
I feel like almost all of us have had to do this in one way or another. We can’t dine-in so we do take-out. We can’t gather in large groups or go to concerts so we do Zoom meetings and do virtual shows.
This time is all about finding workarounds. It’s a time to get creative and still do what you want and need.
I had plans to travel this year. I wanted to go to the West Coast for a while. My birthday is in July and I wanted to TURN UP, but alas…
Even though I wasn’t able to turn up the way I wanted, I still found one of my favorite things to do that was Corona safe - going to the mountains. I had a small picnic and took in the views. It was great!
2020 has undoubtedly been a rollercoaster. We are all trudging through to Dec 31st. I don’t know what’s up ahead exactly, but I’m managing by taking it a day at a time, finding the silver lining, and adjusting when and where I can.
I hope the next 6 months are more than we expect in all good ways.
+*<3,
Ms. Melody Monroe