As Greater Manila returns to a state of enhanced community quarantine, it’s a good time to revisit what you didn’t know before the pandemic started. It’s good to identify your central learning as it may have helped you pull through these challenging times. It may have been instrumental in keeping you afloat.
Let us sit and revisit some lessons from the lockdown.
1 WE CANNOT CONTINUE SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE USED TO BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
Some things that we did before the pandemic may not be applicable to the present situation; this applies to almost every aspect of our lives. Some matters before the pandemic are not helpful or valuable in the current. These do not only apply to habits but also hobbies, beliefs, and routines. Whatever we may have gotten used to pre-pandemic has taken a massive shift, and while change is never easy, it is often necessary. The big word is acceptance. If we keep clinging to the old way of doing things and remain stagnant, it will be hard for us to move forward. We need to choose to evolve. Or it will be impossible for us to move, pivot, and recalibrate ourselves. I noticed that there still lies a difficulty in the concept of change with so many people. The reason usually lies in the lack of acceptance. It calls for the graceful letting go of the then and the acceptance for now. Can you think of one thing that used to be part of your life that you now have learned to live without now?
2 TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME
Choose to conquer one thing at a time. We can only do so much. One of the reasons why we feel overwhelmed is because we choose to do everything at once. Learn to slow down. By doing so, we can better focus on matters within our reach. The situation can make us more anxious if we tend to over-subscribe to everything. So remember: you can unfollow news and people, and let go of habits that aren’t adding to quality to your life.
3 SHOW UP
Show up even when things are stressful and even if we are not feeling our best. While it is true that it is okay not to be okay, we should not allow ourselves to get stuck on not being okay. It is essential for us to show up for our life, our mission, ourselves, and our loved ones. We need to show up because there is a mission more significant than ourselves.
4 THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SOLUTION TO WORK-LIFE BALANCE
There is no such thing as perfect work-life balance. We are the only ones who can define what this perfect balance is. We vary in values, preferences, and lifestyles! So do what works for you and do not fall into the trap of comparing yourself to how other people are juggling what is on their plate. While we are on the same storm, we are in very different boats. So focus on you.
5 SELF-CARE IS IMPORTANT BUT IT IS NOT A SOLUTION TO EXTREME LIFE DIFFICULTIES
Self-care strategies work for normal stress but in extreme cases, self-care needs to be extreme also. It is a call to add more well-being practices. Beyond self-care, we need to work on other aspects such as aligning ourselves to what matters to us.
6 WE ALL HAVE OUR SHARE OF BURDENS AND CHALLENGES
We all have different hurdles and no one is exempted. Don’t give up because, despite the odds, there are opportunities for learning that you may not have otherwise picked up should circumstances be “perfect.”
7 IF THINGS DON’T WORK OUT, RECALIBRATE
We always have a choice. If things don’t work out the way we want them, then we need to adjust. We can always fix the way we look at things and opt for solutions that support our well-being. We cannot hide from issues, emotions, and relationship matters. These will always find ways to surface. If we choose to deny these things, our bodies will absorb them until we are forced to face them. Facing issues head on will lead us to a new understanding of ourselves and the human experience. – WITH PAU DE VERA
Photo by Jasmin Chew on Unsplash