~ What To Do If You Are Stuck at Home ~
On March 23 Washington state, where I live, became one of the first to issue a stay-at-home order for all residents and many of us have been “sheltering in place” for longer than that. So for many, the initial shock of the COVID19 pandemic and the disruption to our normal habits is beginning to dissipate. We are beginning to adapt to the situation. New routines are forming and becoming familiar.
In my household, I’m getting used to my husband being at home every day. He goes over to his mancave above our garage in the mornings to see his psychotherapy clients online, he comes back to the house for lunch, and then returns to his new office for his afternoon sessions, before coming back to the house for dinner. This is one of our new routines. Another is me offering regular online sessions on coping with COVID19. And yet another is communicating with family and friends on Zoom.
Given that many of our old routines have been completely upended, these new patterns offer similar benefits as the old ones - they are relatively predictable thereby providing a sense of order and stability to our lives. They offer a feeling of safety and security in these radically uncertain times. But let’s not be in too great a rush to return to our old habits from before the pandemic. It may not be skillful to return to normal with undue haste. Instead, we can use this time to consider which parts of “normal” are worth going back to and which are not.
Everyone I know wants to be free of the restrictions we are now living with and to carry on with their lives. No-one wants to be stuck at home forever, but it’s worthwhile to ask yourself if you really want life to go back to exactly how it was before. Rushing around from one task to the next, without taking a break? Surfing the internet for hours without any clear purpose in mind? Watching too much TV?
So I invite you to consider who and what are the people and activities in your old life that did not nurture you or support you on your spiritual journey. And who and what are the people and activities in your old life that did nurture you or support you on your spiritual journey. There will probably be people and activities that feed you and inspire you and that you want to keep. But there may also be people and things that are not helpful and that you could say goodbye to.
Many of us wish that this time was over, but this is often what we do in normal life. We think to ourselves “I can’t wait until this is over”, “I can’t wait for the weekend”, “I can’t wait until this busy period is over” or, “I can’t wait for my next vacation”. Rather than being in the present moment, we usually want to be in the next one, in the future. We do this future-tripping to distract ourselves from the here-and-now because we are unhappy or unsatisfied with how things are now.
So, instead of wishing for this to be over, why not take this opportunity - this gift of time and space - to think about your life. Which routines and habits are helpful and which are not? You could also identify any assumptions or beliefs you hold about yourself or others that have led you into the routines and habits that do not serve you. Then make any adjustments that might be appropriate.
There is so much beyond our control at the moment, but one thing we can control is what we think and feel, and what we choose to do about it. So I invite you to consider what adjustments you might want to make to your habits and routines. How could you be happier, more fulfilled and intentional about your life?
This could mean getting serious about a regular meditation practice, or reaching out to someone you’d like to get to know better, or making sure you get a good night’s sleep. Whatever it is, begin it now. Don’t put it off because tomorrow never comes. Start it today.
As the old saying goes “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”.
In my household, I’m getting used to my husband being at home every day. He goes over to his mancave above our garage in the mornings to see his psychotherapy clients online, he comes back to the house for lunch, and then returns to his new office for his afternoon sessions, before coming back to the house for dinner. This is one of our new routines. Another is me offering regular online sessions on coping with COVID19. And yet another is communicating with family and friends on Zoom.
Given that many of our old routines have been completely upended, these new patterns offer similar benefits as the old ones - they are relatively predictable thereby providing a sense of order and stability to our lives. They offer a feeling of safety and security in these radically uncertain times. But let’s not be in too great a rush to return to our old habits from before the pandemic. It may not be skillful to return to normal with undue haste. Instead, we can use this time to consider which parts of “normal” are worth going back to and which are not.
Everyone I know wants to be free of the restrictions we are now living with and to carry on with their lives. No-one wants to be stuck at home forever, but it’s worthwhile to ask yourself if you really want life to go back to exactly how it was before. Rushing around from one task to the next, without taking a break? Surfing the internet for hours without any clear purpose in mind? Watching too much TV?
So I invite you to consider who and what are the people and activities in your old life that did not nurture you or support you on your spiritual journey. And who and what are the people and activities in your old life that did nurture you or support you on your spiritual journey. There will probably be people and activities that feed you and inspire you and that you want to keep. But there may also be people and things that are not helpful and that you could say goodbye to.
Many of us wish that this time was over, but this is often what we do in normal life. We think to ourselves “I can’t wait until this is over”, “I can’t wait for the weekend”, “I can’t wait until this busy period is over” or, “I can’t wait for my next vacation”. Rather than being in the present moment, we usually want to be in the next one, in the future. We do this future-tripping to distract ourselves from the here-and-now because we are unhappy or unsatisfied with how things are now.
So, instead of wishing for this to be over, why not take this opportunity - this gift of time and space - to think about your life. Which routines and habits are helpful and which are not? You could also identify any assumptions or beliefs you hold about yourself or others that have led you into the routines and habits that do not serve you. Then make any adjustments that might be appropriate.
There is so much beyond our control at the moment, but one thing we can control is what we think and feel, and what we choose to do about it. So I invite you to consider what adjustments you might want to make to your habits and routines. How could you be happier, more fulfilled and intentional about your life?
This could mean getting serious about a regular meditation practice, or reaching out to someone you’d like to get to know better, or making sure you get a good night’s sleep. Whatever it is, begin it now. Don’t put it off because tomorrow never comes. Start it today.
As the old saying goes “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”.