As I was working on social media posts, I stumbled on a pre-made story template for COVID-19 that ultimately inspired this entry. The image encouraged us to follow a healthy lifestyle that includes proper diet, sleep, and exercise while we stay at home. Really? Isn’t that what we are supposed to do daily even before COVID-19?
We are creatures of habit and to be fair many people do have a healthy lifestyle. But in true reality if you didn’t have a healthy lifestyle and routine before the “shelter in place” or “stay at home” happened, chances are you haven’t implemented it yet.
During this time, some of us had the luxury of getting caught up with all our shows, house projects, food cravings, and even sleep. Others have been overwhelmed with children and teens who have been at home for more than five weeks while taking care of their day job and the household.
Here are some of the things that COVID-19 has taught me:
We lack all those things that promote a healthy lifestyle and then some.
We need to be more intentional: We can't keep going with the motions or the life circumstances. I believe this moment in time has served a purpose beyond keeping us safe. It has made us realize the unhealthy lifestyles we have created.
We lack connection and relationships! I’ve loved seeing families, friends, and co-workers connecting through different platforms to shorten that distance. People caring about others who were struggling financially or those who were in the front lines.
We lack mindfulness and being in the moment. Non-stop working, binge-watching series or movies, hooked on electronics or checking off things on a list. All because we are not able to sit with ourselves! Just being, without distractions or maybe something to complete.
No judgment here, I've also done some of that over the past three weeks and even before. I had so many plans for this “downtime” and honestly very little has been accomplished. I'll admit lacking some discipline and consistency, but I have enjoyed staying at home with my husband and dogs without the stress of the normal day.
My challenge after all this: not going back to my previous lifestyle. I want to create a new normal that is balanced and intentional in the way that I use my time for rest and not overwork, to connect instead of disconnecting, and to grow instead of just existing. I challenge you to do the same.
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