What have you learned about yourself so far during quarantine? It has most certainly been a season of change and growth. I have started to learn more about myself, and have been surprised with some of the things that I have recognized and learned in the past few months. In speaking with family, friends, and clients, many of them have said the same.
The biggest thing I have learned is that I am not as much of an introvert as I believed. Yes, you read that right. I might be shy until I get to know people, I may truly love my "me time" and personal space, however I also value, maybe more than I recognized, true, in person, human connection. I personally feel like the staying home part is far easier than not being able to see family, friends, coworkers, or clients face to face.
I have rediscovered my love for cooking and being creative in the kitchen. Surprising myself with the simple, healthy, and as always, gluten free meals. I found that it had become more of a chore, meal prepping and shopping on Sundays. I have become more create in the kitchen again during quarantine, enjoying new creations and old favorites.
I realized how dedicated I truly am in all aspects of my life, work, meal prep, work outs, and finding the best in all situations. I was determined to sick to a routine from the get-go, and there have been plenty of days I'd rather stay in bed and hide. I am sure we have all had moments when we felt like that. However, I remind myself why I started, how far I have come, and that I can do anything I put my mind too. Work has been challenging, tele-health is far less personal than in-person therapy, however, slowly, I have learned to adapt.
I have learned that even though we are all going through this together, we are not all managing in the same ways. That some days and weeks are easier than others. Some moments even, as much as the days blend, now two are exactly alike. I remind myself daily that life has not stopped, it's just happening slightly differently right now. We are still living, breathing, connecting. Babies are still being born, milestones are being made, people are passing away, memories are being made, and plans for the future are still happening. We are all connecting on a different level, and for the most part, on an online or virtual platform. We can still talk and communicate, in fact talking with friends about past memories, and future plans has proven helpful during the time to focus on the good.
Life is different, but it's still happening. While I am just as ready as the next person for a sense of normalcy, I recognize that this is our current state of normal, however our normal is going to change many more times before we are able to set into groove and create whatever our true, new normal, may be.
I have learned, or maybe re-learned not to take anything for granted, how precious life is, and how the smallest moments can mean the most. I have allowed myself the time for daily reflection, affirmations, and to speak kindly to myself.
Learning to make the most of what I have. Being creative and problem solving with what I already have that I can re-purpose or utilize in a different way. With that, my appreciation for everything I have, and remembering to make the most out of the good moments and to continue creating memories.
Prior to quarantine, I was always on the go. Gym, work, studio, meetups with friends, networking events. I rarely left myself time to decompress. I dislike down time and struggle to relax and "do nothing" however have been learning to be comfortable with the discomfort and embrace it. I have been able to retrain my brain to focus on reading, which I love to do, but prior to quarantine has a stack of half-read books that had somehow ended up out of sight and out of mind. I feel a sense of accomplishment now when I pick one up, and more-so when I finish it.
Of course this current season of "the new normal" brings us all a variety of challenges, it's important to remember that this too shall pass, and another season will come. We can take the opportunity to reflect, and if there are changes in our lives we wish to make, we can start to work towards them. We can use this time as a period of change and growth. Seize the moment, seize the day, another season and another version of "the new normal" will soon be underway.
Let's try to find the best of a bad situation, to choose to view the positives rather focusing on the negatives (yes, I know, easier said than done). So what have you learned about yourself in this quarantine period?