How to Adapt
Is anyone else tired of hearing about Covid-19? Cause I am!! I received an email this week that said “Not another Covid-19 email!” and I FELT that! The other day I posted on my facebook page some helpful tips on how to stay sane during the most extraordinary time I’ve personally lived through. I’m 27 so there hasn’t been much…lol. I will elaborate on those here too but I also wanted to share with you how I’m staying positive. The things I’ve learned, the things I’m observing and how I’m dealing with each of them. Since this is a vulnerable place, I’m going to get raw and real with you.
I’m someone who hates change but I adapt easily. If that makes sense. I’ve learned to understand that things are ever-changing and most things are out of my control. For example: Covid-19. I cannot control who gets sick, who has to stay home from work, how the world is changing. The only control I have is over my own emotions & how I react. The anxiety for me happens when I can’t help other people understand this. We have people going into panic buying, other’s not realizing the ramifications of this later on in the year, or what it means for our economy. We also have people who are completely paralyzed by fear.
I’m hopeful that my words are encouraging to you but also a wake up call. Life is going to happen. It’s going to happen to all of us. Right now, the entire world is being “lifed on”. It’s how we adapt, how we manage our emotions and how we come out on the other end that matters most.
Here’s how I’ve adapted and what I’ve learned:
Implement wisdom. This was something I got from one of my personal mentors. Wisdom avoids all extremes. Wisdom encourages balance. When you practice wisdom, you understand how to find the silver lining. You understand everything is temporary. This is not our forever. At the same time, be cognizant of the gravity of the issue and that people in real life are experiencing this all first hand even if it’s not something you’re experiencing. Wisdom allows us to see what is going on, observe the situation and then act out of clarity, not paranoia.
Maintain a daily routine as much as possible. Starting my day with an inspirational book is key for me! Every morning I wake up, grab my coffee and sit in my favorite chair in the house. I grab my book and highlighter to reflect back on what I find to be the most valuable. I have been reading “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren and its right on time! I will do a book review here but what I like most is that the chapters are short. Perfect for a quick morning read. They end with a thought/ question to meditate on for the day, a call to action and a verse to memorize. I truly feel like this book has helped me stay motivated during all of this because I now work from a servant leadership perspective, versus working for my own personal gain.
Provide value. Especially if you’re on social media. What do you bring to the table? How will it help? Who can you serve? Even if you’re not on social media, how can you contribute to someone else during this time? This may take some creativity and resourcefulness but it’s worth it! There’s no greater reward than hearing how you helped someone else. I was someone who thought I didn’t provide any value because I was only thinking about what I thought was valuable. What’s crazy is that since I have started this blog, and sharing my story more often on social media platforms, I can truly see I am making an impact in someone else’s life even if it’s small. We have to learn how to become problem solvers.
Stop watching the news. Aint nothin on the news but the blues. Watching the media and the news is a low vibrational activity. Trust me, there are other ways to stay in touch with what’s going on. That’s all I’m going to say about that. Stop it!
Keep your immune system boosted. I don’t know who needs to hear this but eating healthy DOES NOT boost your immune system. You have way too much oxidative stress and free radicals in your body for food alone to combat it. It would be like taking a Dixie cup of water and trying to put out a forest fire. Not gonna work. You have to supplement your body and activate your cells. It’s so crazy to me the amount of people who have not invested in their health even after all of this! Your health is wealth. Without your health, you have nothing. Make sure you’re taking top of the line supplements and probiotics. I’ll talk more about how to find great probiotics and which supplements you should be taking and which ones you’re wasting your money on later.
Check on your friends and family. This is affecting everyone differently. I’m shocked at how some are reacting and how hard some people are taking this compared to others. One of my best friends is on a work visa in Spain right now. He is super extroverted, loves to party and be out and about. Spain has been under mandated quarantine for over a month. You cannot leave your house unless you’re going to the grocery store. Even standing on your balcony he says is weird because the police just stare at you. He’s generally a very happy person but told me the other day he’s struggling mentally. This is one of my strongest friends so it’s a lesson that everyone is handling this differently. Send out a few texts and FaceTime your loved ones. ESPECIALLY you’re extroverted friends who thrive on environments full of people.
Order takeout or delivery. TIP TIP TIP. Before all of this, my job title was “Private Event’s Manager”. Since the mandate for quarantine has been put into place, I have done everything from wash dishes, clean the restaurant, food prep, re-arrange the restaurant, sit by the phone and take orders, run food to peoples cars and also unfortunately deal with some not so nice customers because we aren’t preparing our normal menu at this time. I say all of that not to complain because I’m beyond grateful I still have a job. I say it to emphasize this shift we’re all having to make during this time. Since I am a manager I can’t collect the tips on these orders. All of the money is going to staff we had to lay off. My pay was cut 25%, and this is not the job I love. I still have to leave my house and go to work. I’m still coming into contact with people everyday. Knowing our staff is earning cash during this time makes it all worth it. So keep the economy going, and tip.
Move your body!! I know like so many of you, going to the gym is your escape. It definitely is mine. The gym is my happy place. It’s where I let all my frustrations out. It’s my zen. There’s nothing like a dark room and loud music and somebody motivating me. I LOVE it! What I wouldn’t give to run on a treadmill right now!! It’s probably the athlete in me. So as you can imagine, home workouts are not my thing. I downloaded the Peloton app however which has been life changing! It’s free for the first 90 days and it’s the closest thing I’ve found to my gym. I’m not necessarily someone who works out for a better body (even though that’s a tremendous benefit) I do it more for my mind. To release endorphins, feel more energized, feel accomplished, to challenge myself. My only competition is me. How you do one thing is how you do everything!
Pray and meditate. I find that waking up and expressing gratitude and thanking God for everything I have first thing in the morning sets me up for a great day. That’s also why I like to write. Sometimes there’s so many things I want to say writing it down and journaling is super effective for me. I will go back and look at different prayer requests I had and then realize they happened! Write it and leave it. Ask for courage, discernment and grace. Three things daily I need that have helped me navigate through all of this. Also, express gratitude for even the smallest of things. Your home, your bed, your clothes, your food, your job. God is at work during all of this!
Learn something new! There’s a post going around on social media saying “If you haven’t learned something new during this time, you never lacked the time, you lacked discipline.” Another one says “ The real tragedy is if you come out of this unchanged.”. I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!!! Obviously half the population on Instagram found this offensive, and the other half not so much. I fall into the second half. Heres why: most people right now are either working from home or they’re qualifying for unemployment. As a business owner, I hear all the time the excuses as to why people cannot start a business, or read a book or workout, or learn a new recipe because they lack time. Now that they’re at home, time is not an excuse anymore. The problem is not time. The problem is desire. The problem is the willingness to grow. Learning something new can be as simple as researching something you’ve always wanted to know more about. It can mean learning how to cook your favorite meal that you haven’t been able to make for yourself. It can be reading a book, mastering 25 pushups. Literally ANYTHING. But if we don’t find something in ourselves that could be improved during this time, or take time to learn a lesson from all of this, then we’ve missed the point. Life is about growth and contribution. People who have already given up on their dreams will justify and tell you its “okay” if you’re taking this time to rest. The only thing we can “rest” in is the fact we are not in control. Resting, watching Netflix, watching tiktok videos are all okay, but if you’re doing that all day every day, that’s no longer “taking time to heal” or “coping with a global trauma” it’s selfish. It’s a disservice to your creator. Nothing changes if nothing changes.
I’m in this with you. Sending you all my light and love.
I promise if you practice these things, the positive will start to become your new normal.
Happy Thursday! xoxo
