What does happiness mean to you?
I know these are trying times and I know we are stressed. I hope living in the manner we are being forced to live right now, never becomes normal for any of us. I long to be able to have friends over for dinner, to hug my family, to feel safe at work and in the community. I want to ditch the hand sanitizer, the Lysol wipes and the gloves that have taken up residence on the front seat of my car. I want to walk with my honey and my dog without having to cross the street every time we see another person. I want to be able to say YES to the kids who simply want to pet my dog.
Why is it so hard to simply enjoy the here and now? Right now, I am sitting on my couch typing this post. I can hear the sing song of my favorite bird, the cardinal. One calls, the other responds in an ongoing fashion. My dog is sleeping and I can hear her rhythmic breathing. These are all things that relax me, however at the same time, I am anxious about what is happening in the world today, I am scared for my family and friends, I am petrified for health care workers in New York City, across the country and across the globe. I am trying to not let this fear take hold in my heart.
When I am in my normal routine, I think I am a pretty happy person. I know what to do, how I will spend my time and the people I will come across. I can make dinner plans with people I want to see, go out to eat with my honey and hang out with my family. I can go for walk, throw the kayak in the lake and engage in meaningful work. I know what brings me happiness and I actively work on engaging in these activities on a regular basis. I have worked hard to make these simple things part of my normal routine.
But, these are not normal times…
My normal routine along with most of yours has been squashed by COVID19. I am an introvert and wasn’t really worried about quarantining myself at home with my honey. I stopped working at the nursing home on March 15th in anticipation of my return to Florida to help care for Mother Fran. I could not risk exposing myself and bringing a virus home to my 92 year old Mother who had just gotten out of the hospital.
I figured I could still do some yard work as I don’t have to come in contact with anyone and don’t need any supplies that I don’t already own. This would get me out of the house and allow me to make a bit of money. Mother Nature had other plans and the weather has only partially cooperated. We have had cold, dreary and rainy weather for what seems like forever. Even an introvert like myself can get stir crazy when stuck at home with Stinking Thinking taking hold!
How do we learning to appreciate the here and now? What does happiness mean to me?
I have no answers today, just questions…
Luckily, I am not new to trying to answer questions such as these so I will simply refer back to older posts that address these topics. Maybe reading them again will bring me back to a simpler time and to some easy strategies to find what seems lost.
In Simple Pleasures, I reminded myself that life is not meant to be lived like a hamster running on a wheel. Whether you are still working during these crazy times, caring for others or stuck at home going stir crazy; it is time to slow down and breathe. I had us complete a 10 minute homework assignment to remind us to engage in our simple pleasures. Click on the link to find the exercise. I know I am going to do it again on the next rainy day!
In Celebrate the Little Things, I reminded myself and others to take a small step in pursuit of your goals and then CELEBRATE!
In Do You Melt, I reminded myself and others to not let the weather dictate how you spend your time.
Reading these three posts has given me a bit of energy to figure how to enjoy the simple things in my life, how to cheer myself on to do more and to not let a little rain (or an enormous COVID19) get in my way. This is our normal (for now). Let’s make the best of it for ourselves, our loved ones, our community and our world!
All of us have been given a big bowl of lemons, we can pucker up and complain or we can make some lemonade to share. A short list of some BIG IMPACT steps we can all take during these “not normal times” to make life easier for ourselves and others.
- Call someone who is on your mind and tell them you are thinking about them.
- Write a Gratitude Letter to someone who has had a positive impact on your life.
- Send a care package to a friend or loved one who is working on the front lines of this crisis. This might be a crock pot full of healthy food, some relaxation tips, a new scrub shirt.
- Make face masks and donate them to a local hospital, skilled nursing facility or health care facility in need. Thanks to Child #3 for this idea!
Do you have some suggestions? Please add them in the comments section below. This is a time for community, for sharing and for caring!
Choosing happiness in these not so normal times!
Lake Girl
