When all of this started back in the second week of March, I was terrified, mystified. “Are we going to have school tomorrow?” Fulton county sent out an email saying that school was canceled for the day. The next day came and went, Fulton county canceled school for the next day. The third day found school canceled indefinitely.
We bought toilet paper and Gatorade. We went to the grocery store, and the shelves were empty. There were no veggies or pasta; we freaked out.
Time went on. We tuned into the press briefings; we loved Drs. Fauci and Birx.
Weeks went by. We experienced grief. We busied ourselves by cleaning out the closets, purging like Marie Kondo taught us, dropping our joyless items at the Good Will with record-breaking volumes. We fixed up our homes; we baked, we did puzzles, we worked in the basement. We made masks and face protectors. We posted signs around the neighborhood, “We’re in this together.”
Next, procrastination and lethargy appeared. We drank too much, ate too much, slept too much, and we shopped too much.
We all got COVID fatigue, creating black and white thinking, and blame seeking.
And here’s where we are today:
“I feel downtrodden today. Discouraged, defeated, depressed, tired, and simply…lost.” one of my Facebook friends wrote.
I felt the same way.
Lost. Directionless.
Depressed.
One day the sun came out, and my yoga teacher training resumed. Our fantastic teacher developed and laid out a plan complete with an end date. My lethargy lifted.
What we are missing in our COVID world is a variance. When each day looks like the last, we half expect Bill Murray to appear with a groundhog.
I don’t think this is just a ‘me’ thing. I believe this is the next progression in how we cope with COVID.
What’s your project?
Maybe it’s something simple like making candles or something life-changing like learning to live without drugs or alcohol.
Decide and Commit
Whatever it is, commit to the project.
Making Candles? Research what you need and buy the supplies
Quit drinking? Go to AA. Commit to 90 days.
Develop a structure
How will you get from Point A to Point B?
Pour on Monday, Label on Wednesday, Market on Friday
Go to a virtual AA meeting every day at an ascribed time.
Create a timeline
What are the expectations of your project?
Plan to turn a profit within 90 days.
Work the 12 Steps with a Sponsor.
Giving yourself a project with structure and a timeline will help your mental health. Really. If you’re feeling lost, create.
Your project could be easy, reading books, cooking, and spending time with your kids. It doesn’t have to be grand. I think that most of us are ready for something to look forward to.
Just for today
I’ll think about what kind of project would make me hop out of bed in the morning. If I already have a project, I’ll check in on my commitment level and see if I can create more structure around it.
Prayer
God, we are all tired of the unknown. Please help us to tune in to what you would have us be. Grant us creative ideas to generate a positive heart. Reveal your purpose for this time. Please show us what you want us to do and give us the passion, courage, and joy to do it.
Heather Dellapi 