Know What You Should Do Right Now? NOTHING.
You don’t have to use this time to become an entrepreneur and start the business you’ve always wanted.
You don’t have to use this time to learn how to do a handstand in yoga (ok but I did practice this one last night).
You don’t have to use this time to write a book.
You don’t have to use this time to lose 25 lbs. Or even 15 lbs.
You don’t have to use this time to work out every day.
If any of the above sound good to you: DO IT & love it!
If you don’t want to, or if you find this list overly exhausting like me, DON’T DO IT.
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves when things get though. Right? Like, instead of showing ourselves compassion and saying, “It’s going to be OK, you’ve got this! Take a rest!” we say, “You better be productive in all this, DO better, and BE better!”
We are the hardest on ourselves. We tear ourselves down. We tell ourselves the MEANEST lies.
Well, I’m here to say there’s some good news, folks! Keep reading.
#1. That negative talk you’re hearing? IT’S NOT YOU. IT’S THE EGO.
The ego is scared of the unknown. The ego thrives off of identifying as something, with something, through something.
Ekhart Tolle says that the ego is “complete identification with thought and emotion.”
Right now, jobs are being stripped away. Positions are being depleted. People are having to ADD to their position by becoming a teacher for their now homeschool children. All of this change puts the ego into overdrive. The ego’s natural inclination is to find and embrace an identity.
The ego is constantly asking us “Who am I?” It defines who we are by answering questions such as: “How old am I? What is my occupation? Am I a daughter/sister/brother/son/mother/father? What are my hobbies? What do I do outside of work?”
When the answers to these questions change or dissipate, our ego is in shambles. All of the sudden we don’t know who we are anymore. This brings us anxiety, fear, & hopelessness.
The thing is, you are more than your job, your role in the family, your passion. You are beyond that.
When we can separate from the ego we no longer have to feel shaken by the ego’s insecurity. We can experience our thoughts and emotions in a completely new way, one where we are observing our thoughts without having to identify as them.
#2. Remember that SOCIAL MEDIA IS A HIGHLIGHT REEL.
It’s easy to think that people are handling things “better” than us when we look at their social media. We see people engaging in beautiful self-care techniques flawlessly, showing off their current fashion at-home choices, honing in on their new living room yoga practice.
Don’t worry- social media trends are the same during COVID-19 as they were before. Social media remains a place for people to show what’s going well in their lives as opposed to the full reality. It makes sense. Showing off the positive attributes of our current lives can help us feel better about the uncertainty. Unfortunately, this can cause others to think that their lives aren’t going as well as they should be.
It’s important to keep in mind that this is the first time anyone has gone through a COVID-19 pandemic. People have a hard time deciding what to post and how to best respond on social media to this pandemic, myself included. That being said, some people decide it’s helpful to continue posting as normal, as if nothing were wrong. Others decide that it’s more powerful to only post positivity in order to keep the morale of others up.
Neither response is right or wrong. It’s important to decide FOR YOURSELF what kind of content you enjoy seeing, and then change your feed accordingly. Ask yourself, “What posts or accounts do I see that make me feel bad about myself?” Really think about what accounts cause you to feel anxious, shameful, or not good enough, and keep it in the back of your mind when you’re cruising through your social media.
If an account or post doesn’t make you feel good, unfollow them. Is it a friend or family member and you don’t want to offend them? Mute their account. That way they won’t even know you’ve changed your settings. ;)
#3. Follow CDC guidelines for your region/country. It’s the best you can do and the strongest way to help those around you.
Just remember that whatever COVID-19 experience is at this time, you’re not alone. No reaction is right or wrong, it just is.
During this time, I am offering a discounted rate on my 1-1 Strategy Sessions. These are 1 hour mentor sessions with me where we can discuss in detail your current dilemma or experience, and then come up with a strong game plan on how to move forward. It’s really tough to get the guidance we’re craving right now when we’re not able to seek out face-to-face support. I’m here for you! Find out more HERE or email me HERE for more information.
Wishing you the best from a social distance,
Shelby