Covid 19 requires me to be flexible

Life is different now, without my consent.  I have to be flexible, as do you. It feels as though everything has changed: school, grocery shopping, conducting our social lives, and therapy.

We can do this.  We have been practicing being flexible, even if we didn’t notice our efforts. Here are some quick things to ponder:

  • Our weather changes quickly here. We adapt.
  • Lots of us ride bikes…and get flat tires, changing our rides abruptly.
  • Our kids catch colds.
  • Our social plans get cancelled at the last minute.
  • We get invited to things at the last minute…
  • Seasons change, school years end, we move from middle school to high school to …?

See, you can be flexible and adapt. For the current rough spots in your life, what needs to flex so you can adapt?  Are you grieving the freedoms you once had? The easy social connections? The flexibility of running to the store for the missing ingredient? It’s ok; grieve.  Acknowledge the losses and the changes.

Can you also see some opportunities? The daily check on the tulips? A chance to rest? A chance to connect via terrible programming, such as Tiger King? For many of my clients, life just got better: no pressure to socialize at school, modified timelines for assignments, the chance to sleep in, and no pressure to land a summer job. For other clients they grieve typical dating, senior prom, and graduation.

This is a strange time.  It is ok to grieve our loss of freedom, our unmet expectations, and the requirement to adapt without consent.  It is also ok to kick back, relax, enjoy different freedoms, and do nothing. Be healthy: exercise, eat well, sleep well, stay in social contact with your network. Try to be flexible, and when you can’t be flexible, take a break.  Cut yourself some slack, try not to judge your choices.  You can do this.

 

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