Persevering During a Pandemic

When unexpected tragedy hits our first natural instinct is to fear. Fear of the unknown is very powerful. Anxiety grips tightly to the mind, displaying worst-case scenarios. The news stations shout shocking statistics and blast unhealthy pessimistic driven discussions.

During this uncertain time it is easy to get lost in the wave of disbelief, grief and uneasiness.

However, what if I told you there's a boat riding these dangerous negative waters? Wouldn't you want to be rescued from this drowning?

I'm here to assure you that relief is possible! The tips I have listed below have greatly helped to improve my quality of life during this stressful season.

I, like many others, jumped on the crazy frenzied bandwagon at the start of all this COVID madness. I am 100% guilty of listening obsessively to the news, reading all the posts while fretting both night and day for my life and the lives of my loved ones.

I even have to regrettably admit that my routine seasonal allergies bred such distress and state of fear in me that I told my husband that I thought I might die.

Talk about dramatic much!

I was being wayyy over the top and I quite literally only had the sniffles! But like many others, I had bought into the hysteria and the seed of fear was being watered daily and sprouting wildly inside me.

This was no way to live. And through this trying period I have begun to navigate the do's and dont's of how best to approach the unexpected.

Because although this is the world's first time to endure COVID-19, this is not the first and undoubtedly will not be the last unplanned tragedy that strikes our lives when we are least expecting.

When in Doubt, Pray it Out

Give your worries to God.

Throughout this past couple of months, I have once again been reminded of the power of prayer. Praying to God about my fears has really helped to ground me during this shaky and unstable season.

When I see or hear something that puts me in a state of distress, I instantly strike up a conversation with the Lord.

I talk to him like I would a friend. I want to encourage you to please not fall into the trap of thinking that prayer life always has to be regimented on your knees in a formal church-like setting. Whether you're in the shower or in the grocery store, anytime is the right time to pray.

Instead of instantly running to a friend or family member with my worries, I take it up with the Big Man upstairs first. This has really helped me to be able to discern what there truly is to be wary of and what is just hype.

The bottom line is, we can't control everything around us. However, we should find comfort in knowing there is a plan and purpose for each one of us.

During this time I do believe we should be doing out part and acting in manners that are smart and safe, but living in a constant state of fear and anxiety while doing that really isn't living at all.

Stay Informed, to a Certain Extent

Now, I know I am in the minority here, but I'm going to say it anyways.

I am not a big fan of social media. ESPECIALLY when the Country is in a state of crisis.

Before I get my head ripped off, let me clarify.

Social media can be positive, if used with those intentions. But, it can also be a huge time-wasting, opinion promoting, drama-filled sinkhole.

Yup, I said it.

Throughout COVID, my social media suspicions have only been heightened. I would wake up in the morning, pour myself a steaming cup of coffee and dive headfirst into COVID craptopia.

I call it crap, because that's just exactly what it was!

As a Journalism major, we are taught to trust the news (keyword coming) to a certain extent. It is of utmost importance that you do your own research, learn from a multitude of credible sources and don't let your emotions cloud your judgment of what is true versus false.

This past couple of months every social media site that I have logged into has been filled with negativity and false claims piggy-backed on top of each other.

Just logging onto Facebook and reading other people's posts was making my heart race and feel like I needed to rip my own hair out.

Enough is enough!

For the past two months, I have taken a much-needed mental health hiatus. It has allowed me to grow closer to God, my husband, and the family and friends that I choose to surround myself with.

Don't feel guilty if you find yourself needing a social media break too.

Knowing when to log out doesn't make you weak, it shows that you are strong enough to recognize what is and isn't healthy for your mental state of being.

Also, I promise, it will still be there when you get back!

I am grateful that this season has opened my eyes towards recognizing how much precious time I used to waste scrolling.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a total hater. I will return to social media, but this time I will be more purposeful with how often and long I spend on these sites.

Healthy boundaries are a must for me moving forward.

Creativity Promotes Happiness

I strongly believe that there is an inner artist inside of everyone. That doesn't mean that you actually have to be an artist and draw, but I believe we have all been sprinkled with a little magic creative dust.

Whether that manifests in writing, dancing, drawing, singing, acting, playing an instrument or even crocheting a hat, it doesn't really matter what your creative thing is, it just matters that there is something there worth cultivating.

There is a passion inside of each of us that deserves to be explored and expressed.

COVID has really helped me to recognize that working does not make me who I am. That there are many different unique aspects of my personality that contribute to my overall happiness.

I realized during this pandemic, that I had kind of lost sight of that.

I used to love to do little projects, whether it was working on a scrapbook, making an awesome terrarium or just doodling inside a notebook and putting some subpar off the top of my head poetry next to my image.

These expressions of the artist inside me made me feel alive. I was able to therapeutically express the emotions I was feeling through these means.

But life happens. New jobs come along. You get married. Holidays. Moving. Pandemic. You name it, there will always be an excuse to not focus on those hobbies that you have pushed to the side and deemed unimportant.

During this season of quarantine and endless hours of asking myself, "Welp, what should I do now?" I realized that I should do what I have been putting off doing for years now!

I should read those novels on my bookshelf that I keep making excuses not to. I should finish putting together my scrapbook from all the awesome polaroids that were taken at my bachelorette last year. I should totally make that macrame hanging planter that I have been wanting to house my Spider Plant in for the past couple of months.

Once I opened up the floodgate of my creative self, a version of myself that I had been suppressing because I was too busy "adulting", the options became endless! There were soooo many things that I had been wanting to do, but I hadn't even allowed myself to consider doing.

COVID has given me the ability to invest in my hobbies. It has allowed me the precious time to be creative and not feel bad about what I should be doing, or how I could be using my time more wisely.

I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity during this season in life to rediscover some of the key things that make me happy.

Being creative is a part of who I am, and I believe that each of us has a hobby that we should still practice regularly. Not because it will make us money, not because it is productive but because it brings us joy. It brings out the inner child within each of us.

Because it's fun!

Relationships Are More Precious Than Gold

In a time where you are utterly isolated, one really begins to cherish the people that they have in their lives.

I never knew how much I would miss my friends and family until I wasn't able to see them whenever I wished.

I have always recognized that I am exponentially blessed with a very large family full of faith, love and support. My family has gotten me through some of my very worst times, and I thank God every day for placing me with them.

Through the years, I have also accumulated some really awesome friends as well. The ladies in my life are genuine and sincere, and there is nothing more valuable in my book than a true friend.

All in all, My tribe is pretty stinkin' great!

But like many others, I have regrettably found myself sometimes taking the most precious things in life for granted. I always knew that my friends and family were just a drive or phone call away, so I didn't feel the need to exercise my want to see them as much as I could have.

But now that I haven't seen my precious people in a few months, I cry tears of despair knowing that I don't actually know the next time I will be able to hug each one of them.

As an introvert at heart, who would have thought that I would be craving loud rambunctious family get-togethers so badly?

COVID has really taught me the value of relationships. Of cherishing the people that have chosen to honor you by doing life by your side.

I have purposefully tried to use this time to grow closer to my friends and family, even though I can't see them in person. I have found so much joy calling my grandparents and even great grandparents that all along I should have been investing more time in.

This unique season has shown me that the things that really matter in life are the connections you make with the people you love. Invest time in growing a deeper relationship with your friends and family members.

It's never too late to start!

Life would be so boring if we only stayed in the kiddie pool, afraid to dive off the diving board into deeper and more refreshing waters.

Relationships aren't mean to be merely surface level. We are meant to love, laugh and cry with one another.

This time of isolation has taught me how truly important it is to be surrounded by those that you love.

Be Kind Always

All in all, this is a very hard time on everyone.

In one way or another, we all are going through losses and heartache. This post in no way is meant to lessen or invalidate the feelings that are swirling around us during this season of trying.

Some days are easier than others, but coming from someone who lost their job because of this pandemic and can't see all my family because of autoimmune issues, this is definitely one of the harder seasons of my life.

During a time where everyone is struggling, it's so critical to remember to be kind to one another.

We must be kind to ourselves and to those around us. Always.

As someone who is constantly trying to do the next big thing and stay "productive", I find that I have been trying to push myself unrealistically.

Sometimes I attack my own happiness by convincing myself that I should be doing more. Bullying myself with needing to work harder. Suffocating my mental health by not allowing myself to recognize all the good that I am trying to do. I have now recognized how wrong and counterproductive this actually is!

We must be kind to ourselves. Patient with ourselves and extremely loving.

During a pandemic, it's unrealistic to think you're going to perform at peak performance.

We all handle stress in different ways, but stress is still stress.

And that's stressful!

By navigating this season with a gentle mindset, we might find that it is a lot more bearable and enjoyable than we originally thought.

I am learning to understand and listen to the things that are going on inside myself. To love who I am, flaws and all. And to just be kind, always to myself and others.

We all need a little more grace during this time.

Love Extra During Hard Times

I know I can't speak for everyone, but I do feel justified in saying that we all could use a little extra love during a difficult season like this.

In so many different ways, life is throwing us curve balls and trials. I know we are all not on the same path, as we each have our own unique races to run. But overall the course during 2020 has been uphill, the terrain inclined and the elevation change making it hard to catch one's breath.

The above-listed tips have personally been helping me to get through this trying time.

I truly hope they can bring some comfort to you too.

There is no one size fits all, right way to go about getting through a pandemic. But with a little extra love, grace, patience, and kindness it sure makes this chapter of our lives a heck of a lot easier to endure.

This is just a season of our lives. A chapter in our book that we will all one day look back on, remembering such strength we had to call upon to survive during this time. Patience and love will help each of us to make it through to the other side.

I believe in us.