“Maybe I’m just going stir-crazy,” a coaching client told me recently while expressing deep frustration about working from home using chat and email. He was reacting to the disembodied communication, fraught with inconsistencies and misunderstanding, that occurs more seamlessly via social connection in his physical workplace.
What a huge life transition! In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 has turned lives upside down and inside out. We’re experiencing something out of an apocalyptic sci-fi flick that we never thought would plague our world, at the same time separating and uniting us. It’s no wonder that we feel so many emotions we’re not used to handling all at once.
We’re going through something unprecedented. It’s completely normal to feel out of sorts, experience a range of emotions, binge-do whatever, lack concentration, and generally feel lost in the sea of news and gloom. What’s not normal is expecting ourselves to breeze through.
We have a resiliency that, during times like these, has the power to show us our greatest strengths. What are they? How can we focus instead on what we can offer as opposed to what we lack at this time? You just may come to realize that you have qualities and resourcefulness you never realized.
About my ‘stir-crazy’ client… during our Skype call, I invited him to do jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, and planks until we were both out of breath. What happened next was the miracle of it: he felt energized. He was able to move from powerlessness and crazy-making to a state of calm because he changed up his energy by moving through the feelings. Often, if we engage in sport or physical activity when we feel stuck or frozen in emotion, there is a release of those feelings—and they do pass.
It’s challenging not seeing other people, curtailing outdoor activities, spending so much time alone, or being cooped up with housemates for long periods. Consider the people out there fighting the more significant battle for their lives alongside heroic health care providers putting themselves at risk. Our most critical contribution is to stay apart as we work together to protect each other.
Just DO It has a new meaning: change up your energy by moving—take a walk or do some mini-workouts—then wash your hands and stay home!
Be safe, sane, and well!
Photo courtesy of Burst on Pexels. Sound editing courtesy of Andrew Howarth.