“No sleep.
Bus.
Club.
Another club.
Another club.
Another club.
Plane.
Next place.
No sleep.”
Maybe this is what your schedule looked like before COVID-19 changed life as we know it, or maybe it was a little different. But regardless of what your schedule looked like before the global pandemic hit, it probably does not look the same now. As we cope with loss and change in routines, it can be helpful to observe the benefits to life as we know it slowing down.
Life seemingly has only been speeding up. We are more connected than ever through technology, living under societal pressures for success and achievement. As we grow older and our responsibilities expand, it can be hard to find moments of tranquility.
Life just got pulled over on the highway for speeding, and the world is now moving at a slower speed. Although it might not be peaceful as this time has brought anxiety and uncertainty, the time can give us an appreciation for a slower pace. Maybe it is that you have been able to exercise more, get around to that book you have always wanted to read, or just sleep for more hours than you are up for the first time since you were a baby.
The impact of how COVID-19 has changed how we spend time can be seen through the social media that has kept us connected in this time. We can spend more time outdoors at parks and trails that are still open and busier than ever. We can spend more time with our families, whether it be for better or for worse. We can hone skills of cooking and baking with restaurants being closed. We can develop a creative outlet. We can reach out to others in meaningful ways and write letters. Without the ease of having an easy distraction at the ready to busy ourselves with, we can spend more time inflecting and developing mindful practices.
One thing is for sure: we are all adjusting to a new normal, but this new normal is not forever. As our lives shift back to a lifestyle we are more familiar with, we can benefit through remembering the lessons that COVID-19 has taught us. Whatever you may take away from this experience, whether it be a new hobby, self discovery, life lesson, or positive habit, make sure you leave these times with a “souvenir”. While there is tremendous grief and loss, this is a period of time in which we have been given a blank canvas. The possibilities of what we turn it into are limitless, but let’s make sure we have something pretty we can look back on for when life begins to speed up again.