A few weeks ago the worldwide health crisis set all of our lives on hold. Big plans, small plans, events, launches, vacations, moves – so so many things we were looking forward to are not possible right now. And it’s good that we are pausing and isolating, because the health of each and everyone is the No. 1 important foundation and much much more important than everything else. Still it’s normal and okay to be sad about even the smallest plan that is cancelled and unsure of what the future holds. It definitely sets everything into perspective and makes us appreciate all that we’ve enjoyed before even more. And the feeling of life after this crisis will be so glorious, but sure enough we don’t know when this will be yet.
First of all, please don’t go back to normal too early and think about the danger you put your loved ones, yourself and all the other people in. I know we all want our normal lives back and we’re inpatient, but it’s simply not possible to continue as it was before the virus. We need to learn to live cautiously until a medication is found and this can in fact take quite some time. It’s not easy but it’s important to stay put and to still embrace our lives without certain things possible.
I’m sure all of you have this restless feeling of the unknown as your constant company. I myself have a pretty open future that I will let you know more about soon. But while life is on hold, there are a few things I practice that help me to stay hopeful and excited about what’s to come.
DREAMING/PLANNING
Actually dreaming is my natural state for about 50% of the day, but right now it’s even more important and enjoyable to escape into the dream worlds. We all have those pictures of the future we build into our heads and certain thoughts that make us so exciting. Now is the time to dream and plan and scheme up all you dare to imagine. Dreaming together is even better, so if you have a certain someone quarantined with you or if you’re FaceTiming your best friend talk about all the tiny details of your dreams and plans. Sharing them and getting hyped up about them with each other is setting free lots of endorphins. Make your plans more concrete next, so that you’re ready to make your dreams come true as soon as this life stage is over.
SMALL AND BIG PROJECTS
There is this project you wanted to do since months/years? Now is the perfect time! I for example finally had the time to finish up my new blog design (launching very soon!!). This is also a project that will prepare me for a future after all of this, since I’m going to have a pretty foundation to really get my blog going when travels and big outings are possible again. It also makes me feel productive while I’m at home with a relatively loose schedule. So now is the time to write that business plan for something you would like to launch in the future. And of course it doesn’t have to be big projects only. It can also be small lists (love me a good list) or new hobbies that make you happy. I actually found a kind of strange hobby that brings me so much joy. I created a Power Point presentation with all my interior finds (with links and prices) for each room of my future home that I’ll hopefully furnish one day soon after all of this. It gets my creative juices flowing and truly makes me happy – so why not?
ACKNOWLEDGING THE NOW
Does it really make sense to beat yourself up for something you can’t change? No? Well we still need to tell us that fact over and over again right now, because humans are made like this. It’s 100% clear that there will be a different wonderful future of some kind. That’s the first fact that should make us feel calmer. Second, there’s just absolutely nothing we can do to change the now. So instead of feeling pitiful for yourself and beat yourself up for being unproductive rather acknowledge this time as just what it is. A period of rest! Enjoy reading and baking and just doing nothing. Also being silly and just dancing or growling it out for a minute and being a child again truly helps wonders. There is going to be a busy season again coming sooner than we think.
NATURE
Nature always puts everything into perspective. We are so lucky to live on this beautiful planet with trees and lakes and flowers. Whenever we leave the city and I see trees my heart and lungs open up and I feel lighter, happier and more hopeful. Nature has such a calming effect and the fresh air combined with chirping birds and lots of greenery truly helps to feel grounded and present. Make those trip as often as you can, if you’re based in a city, or even better consciously enjoy your beautiful surroundings, if you’re living in the countryside.
These four points definitely help me to stay hopeful while our lives are on hold. Not only during a crisis like this, but also in the past when I had to be patient for things in the future. When this is teaching us one thing, it’s patience. This and empathy is all we need to make it through. Let me know, if you have any more ideas and sending you lots of love and health!