Written by: Jess Hanson
Spending time away from the people I care most about and locking myself indoors all day long is one of the last ways I’d choose to spend my time. Even for those who may be introverted and prefer spending time alone inside, I can’t imagine this being the most enjoyable situation for them. Isolation is no picnic.
I’m currently visiting home in California, abiding by the “shelter in place” rule, and staring out of my window at the beautiful snowy mountains – a view I’ve had no choice but to look at for the past 12 days. Not bad. But it’s easy for me to sit here and feel sorry for myself.
My last quarter of graduate school will now be spent remotely, who knows when I’ll get to see my friends again, all the ski resorts are closed, I’m dealing with major March Sadness of no more basketball, I can’t bake anything because I gave up sweets for lent, and my favorite deli in the world here is now closed (poor me).
Throughout the hardships of this whole pandemic, I know there are many like me who are “struggling” with things that are so minuscule, and honestly, a bit selfish (I don’t mean to sound harsh).
My situation is quite simple compared to others. Many people have lost jobs they rely on, some are struggling to find ways to feed their families, and many are living in fear of contracting COVID-19 due to age, underlying health issues, lack of hospital beds or reliable health care, etc. Reflecting on this has shifted my mindset from feeling sorry for myself to a mindset of empathy and gratitude.
Full disclosure: The following suggestions, ideas, experiences, are from my current point of view, where I am lucky enough to have no legitimate worries.
Physical Health:
I love exercise, but the less I have a routine, the less desire I have to be active. First of all, I have been practicing giving myself grace, which I’ve needed to work on, for feeling a little lazier than usual. Considering this is a new and unknown situation for me, I should feel okay with just laying around more than normal.
Now that I’ve realized this may be the norm for a while, I’ve decided to set some new goals for myself. To sum up my plan, I will set up a little gym in my garage with a specific schedule of when I will work out. I’ve also decided to spend time playing lacrosse in the yard with my sisters and setting aside time to go on long walks with my mom during the day. And again, practicing showing myself grace throughout this unusual situation.
Mental Health:
Walks with my mom and lacrosse time with my sisters will be major way for me to strengthen our relationships.Connection with others is one of my top values, so I am learning to use this time to live out this value.
It’s been a long time since me, my 22-year-old brother, my 9 and 12 year old sisters, and my parents have all been in the house all together, which is such a huge blessing. Of course I am probably going to get annoyed with being around only the five of them for weeks, but I do not want that to dictate my relationships with them.
I’m prioritizing FaceTiming my best friends, reaching out to friends I don’t usually talk to as much, and doing things like those silly challenges circling Instagram that make us laugh.
I’ve also been reflecting on my top values and looking for ways to implement them. Connection with others is one example, and gratitude is another value of mine (which I strongly encourage everyone to be practicing right now). I’m trying to write down things I am grateful for daily while challenging myself to think about things I don’t usually think about. I am also trying to thank those in my life who have impacted me in different ways, big or small.
Like many, I am using this time to learn or do things I have always wanted to but never made the time to do. I’m now finally teaching myself to string lacrosse sticks, make homemade pasta, and I am taking courses to get certified in both sport nutrition and nutritional psychology – which has always been a dream of mine and something I am so excited about!
I’m have even been watching reruns of old basketball games and trying to relive some exciting moments of my favorite team.
And while a few days ago I was someone who wanted to say screw-it to social distancing and believe that none of this applies to me, I have tried to do my research to truly understand why I should be doing my part in society and the community I love to flatten the curve.
Through all of these things, I can easily say that I am rekindling my joy and becoming more appreciative of my life. I know there may still be days where I will sit around sulking in my frustrations and feeling sorry for myself, but I also know I have many tools to utilize to maintain good mental health.
Again, I am so grateful for my situation, as I know this is not the case for everyone. With sharing my experiences with you, my heart, thoughts, and prayers goes out to those who are dealing with challenges, those working in healthcare, and those who are leaders having to make difficult decisions that alter many lives.
I want to finish with a poem that has been shared on social media and has resonated with me:
“I imagine if Dr. Seuss were alive today, he’d write something like this:
The buildings were big and people would smile
And travel they would mile by mile.
But sick they become, in numbers it grew
Businesses worried, communities too.
Things stopped for a bit, the world slowed its roll
The virus has certainly taken its toll.
But what they then saw from slowing things down,
Is in fact they now had less reasons to frown.
Families now gathered, what game shall we play?
Pass me the blue crayon, give Mommy the grey.
Dad’s home guys! He’ll read us a book
then all of us together will cook.
The lungs of the planet caught a small break
less travel meant less pollution to make.
People did realize they’d all be OK
They don’t need so much to get through the day.
Maybe this virus that caused so much stress
Showed the whole world that more can mean less.
Written by XXXXXX
Inspired by Dr. Seuss”
DU Sport Psych 