Life is always opening doors for us, giving us a gift. We just don’t often recognize it.
We waste the opportunity that life has given us!
So being aware of this … how can we use this new normal as an opportunity and a gift?
Some things that have changed for many of us:
- A sense of restriction: We’re not able to do our usual things — not only work and school, but things like haircuts, dentists, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, shops and more. That can feel very restricted.
- Heightened uncertainty & anxiety: Things are incredibly uncertain right now, for all of us — for our health, the health of loved ones, the state of the world, the shaky economy, our individual financial situations. And that’s just the start of it. All of this uncertainty is triggering feelings of stress, fear and anxiety in most people, in different ways.
- A feeling of isolation but also (possibly) togetherness: For many people, social distancing has created a feeling of isolation that can be very hard to handle. But for many, there can also be a feeling of togetherness – we’re all in this together, no one is excluded. Some are creating that feeling of togetherness by doing video calls, by connecting others online, or by taking part in community or group efforts to help.
- Contraction when we’re feeling overwhelmed: It can all be too much. And when we feel that sense of overwhelm, we can want to shut down, exit, turn away, avoid. We avoid hard tasks, we go to distraction, we avoid our healthy habits. This is all completely normal!
- A sense of disruption: Our old habits have been disrupted — we can’t do all the things we’re used to doing, and that gives us a feeling of being upended. It’s frustrating to have things disrupted, and can make us feel afloat.
- Irritation with others: Being isolated with the same people every day can cause friction. And that brings up all of our issues, all the ways we respond (and they respond) when we get triggered.
- Wanting it all to be over: Impatience! We just want to go back to normal. It’s hard to accept the way things are.
You might not be experiencing all of these, because every person is experiencing the new normal differently.
But it is a new normal.
So the question is: will we resist it, or can we use it as an opportunity?
We can complain about the new normal. Hate it. Stew in frustration about it. That’s one possibility.
Another possibility is to use it as a growth opportunity. What is your choice here?
Posts
