Hey there loves. I hope everyone is doing as well as they can during this wild time. It is a wild time isn't it? For the past few weeks when I get on a call with a friend or a family member that asks me how I am doing I can never find the right words to answer this. So I mostly settle with "I'm doing well" or "I'm doing okay." The truth is, I really do not know how I am doing. I am grateful, that's for sure. Side note: I believe practicing gratitude daily creates space to find the light and beauty during these strange and tough times (any tough time really). So I offer that to you if you haven't been practicing gratitude, either by saying aloud what you're grateful for or writing it down (my preference), it makes a difference in the day.
Back to what I first brought up, I've been reminded weekly by friends, Instagram stories, Facebook and Twitter that it is okay to not know how to feel during this time. I believe that to be true and every time I hear this it brings me comfort. This new reality is just that; new, it is unexpected and the future is SO uncertain, people are getting sick and losing their lives and with that I sometimes find myself all over the place emotionally. I found that limiting my news intake and social media intake helps keep me more calm and balanced. I hope you discover this for yourself too if you haven't already.
I think one of the reasons I'm (and I'm sure so many of us) having a hard time placing a name to how I'm doing is because so many intense emotions emerge during the day. And being locked in all day can intensify these feelings. With that
what I'm working on during this time is being intentional about allowing myself to feel whatever comes up for me. Whatever I am feeling at the moment, I try my best to acknowledge them. Then, I try my best to let them go. Sometimes it means crying it out, writing it out, laughing it out (The Office has been a BIG help with that) or talking it out with family or close friends. Whatever works for me at the moment. And if that's all I do for the day, that is more than enough. I have found this to be helpful as anxiety ebbs and flows about whether or not I will have a job to go back to when this is all over or thinking about if my unemployment checks will run out before working again. So as I am giving myself permission to let the feels come and go I offer this to you too.
Lastly, always remember we are all in this pandemic together and we will get through this together. Yes, some situations are more dire than others, but a great friend reminded me that I should still acknowledge the aspects of my life that are frustrating at the moment. I offer that to you.
Reach out to someone you've been thinking about.
I'd love to hear how you all are doing during this time. Drop me a note. IG: abieirabor FB: Abie Irabor
Stay Safe and Healthy. Sending Love and Light.