In Darwin’s infamous theory, the survival of the fittest, he postulated that only those who have the facility to survive can continue to reproduce and survive. Surviving should not always be equated to a line and death situation. It also speaks about conquering and surviving the hurdles that life throws at us. This brings us to realize, that we should be physically, mentally, and emotionally fit in order to thrive and conquer our inner battles because truly, the quarantine period forces us to see that there is more to just the virus that needs fixing. Our overwhelmed feelings can better be handled, lessened, if not completely eradicated if we follow three straightforward tips.
CHANGE
Sure, you have built your life around the comfort of your routine. You’re not used to things outside of this zone, but you have to constantly evaluate, is your routine still serving you well? You might not be used to doing some things such as working at home but you have to make small conscious changes. You have to adapt. If you’re feeling afraid, then it’s good you recognize the feeling but you have to take steps to move from your fear zone to the faith zone. You don’t have to adapt and change all your patterns all at once to adapt with the times. In fact, taking it one day at a time would be more than enough. Don’t bother trying to please everyone. You are not a superhero. Recognize your limits. When I was working on my thesis, my
editor would say, let one word turn to a phrase, because sooner or later it will become a sentence. There is no need to hurry. You just have to commit to small deliberate changes for the better.
CHOOSE
A statement I live by is, “I am not what happened to me but I am who I choose to become”. If you start making better choices on how you react, in how we do things, in how we see events then it will make wonders for ourselves. This calls for a sense of discernment, of realizing which things are worthy of your time and control. You have the power to choose what you can do now. This also goes for how you spend your time. You can also choose to hoard all of the work but you can (and I highly suggest this!) choose to delegate. Lower your standard, the people you delegate tasks to aren’t carbon copy versions of you. They are not your clones. They’ll probably deliver results that won’t meet your expectations so you can also choose to lower these down and choose to be grateful for the sense of camaraderie you’re getting. Create a space for new things to happen, don’t try to be so controlling of every happening. This all begins with a mindset that gives you the power to choose how you deal with everything.
CREATE
Some things in your past may no longer be working. Some of our beloved patterns may no longer be applicable and effective which makes them no longer helpful. So be creative, create a
new style of life that enables you to live a better life. When it comes to simple everyday
decisions, this also comes in handy. Want to cook something but disappointed with the lack of
ingredients? Treat it as an opportunity to learn a new recipe. If you know how to be creative, you’ll never run out of things to do. You will always be filled with joy and wonder for the new, and you’re cultivating a relationship with your inner child and such a relationship is something that will always sustain you. Improvisation is not to settle, it is making do and being grateful for what you have in the now because something unknown can turn out to be a pleasant surprise! – WITH PAU DE VERA