seeing coronavirus as a gift instead of a curse
The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, snuck up into our lives in a swift yet subtle way. At first, it was just a China issue. Then, it was a European issue. We continued our usual business in the US, continuing to think “This isn’t going to happen here. It’s not going to happen to us.”
Yet here we are — the lives we were living came to halt; as if someone just clicked a giant “pause” button on humanity’s daily trajectory. And while there are a lot of difficult things happening — this time is truly a gift in more ways than one.
This time has opened up the space in our daily lives that wasn’t there before — Now we get to reflect, create, & connect with each other & ourselves in new ways. I’ve added my own suggestions within each category to give a little encouragement to get you started.
Reflections >>
How has the disruption of your daily routine affected you? Positively? Negatively?
What unhealthy habits have you been easily ignoring by staying “too busy”? How can you use this time to make a plan to change?
What elements of your quarantine life have been giving you the most joy? Which are grounding you? How can you incorporate more of these elements into your life after quarantine?
Getting Creative >>
Try an online class to explore your creativity - skillshare is free for your first 2 months
Order the Artist’s Way - this book is a tool to help cultivate your own creativity
Start walking at least once per day — the act of walking boosts inspiration
Pull up photos from your past creative projects & write down your favorite parts & why they were your favorite. The first photo on the right is from my first mural. It makes me so happy & inspired to remember the process, see the mess, & bring back all of the learnings that came from it. The second one is my friend & I building a floral installation. The elements were rough & pushing through to finish in time was intense, but the magical moments of seeing people interact with the piece was all worth it.
Connecting >>
With Family & Friends:
schedule regular video meetings to check in, share your feelings & thoughts, make recipe, book, or movie recommendations, gossip about whatever…
create your own little care package & send to them
With Your Partner/Spouse:
practice no screens for the first & last hour of the day - use this time to talk & connect
schedule date nights — both of you dress up + make cocktails + a nice dinner + light candles + play music + put phones on airplane mode
make a list of projects you’ve both been putting off & an action plan to work on them every day
With Yourself:
buy a journal & start a habit of writing in it everyday — now is the time to really get to know yourself, envision who you want to be, & make the plan to get there
incorporate daily & weekly self care rituals such as walking, taking a bath, a nightly face mask
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This moment in time & the space that’s opened up because of this tiny, microscopic form are rare & will not happen again in your lifetime. We can waste it, wallow in it, or we can use it to evolve ourselves & thus collectively. Mother Nature is throwing us into something we’ve never been prepared for - globally, locally, personally - because the only way out is through, & we are way overdue for a change to move forward.
