What you see isn’t always what you get… and that is OK!
(Full disclosure, this blog post started out as an Instagram caption and then I realized that I wasn’t done writing… So here we are!)
As we all know, Instagram and social media are filled with pretty pictures, but at the end of the day they serve as a highlight reel. Plain and simple. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, it’s also okay to share the parts of life that aren’t quite so pretty from time to time.
Life recently has been filled with so many unknowns! We’re living in a time where we really don’t know what each new day will bring. That can be scary! So many people have lost their jobs or been furloughed, had family members become ill or become ill themselves, experienced racism at an even higher level than usual, wondered how they’re going to pay their bills, not been able to see loved ones, had to cancel plans that they’d been looking forward to for months (or years) & the list goes on… This is not a simple or easy time for anyone.
As someone who is a major planner, one of the aspects of the current situation that has been especially hard is the level of uncertainty. Life feels like it’s been put on pause! I know I haven’t shared much regarding my recent moods about this whole situation on social media or my blog, but I know that a LOT of people have been feeling similarly.
I’ve had some powerful conversations over the last few weeks with close friends as well as friends that I didn’t know as well. From these conversions we’ve further connected over this weird and “up in the air” feeling that so many of us are experiencing right now. There’s a real sense of comfort that comes from realizing that we’re not the only one having a hard time or feeling a certain way. This is why having conversations like these are so helpful! These conversations are also a way to connect with others during a time where many of us feel so disconnected.
To be honest, I’ve had some really rough days, especially over the past two weeks. I’ve found myself feeling isolated, anxious and just plain tired… Talking with loved ones about what we’re all going through and what I’ve been feeling (even if it’s a confused, disorganized, jumble of emotions) has been so helpful because it’s helped me to further process it all.
That being said, there have also been plenty of wonderful things that I’ve experienced during this season of unknown. During this pandemic I’ve had days filled with productive mornings and fun afternoons creating content. I’ve had evenings Zooming with friends, walks in beautiful weather and have appreciated more little things I’d typically overlook. I’ve also found myself to be far more reflective. It’s really been a mixture of moods!
We all experience things differently and have varying opinions. Everyone has circumstances and both personal and political lenses which affect our individual experience. BUT, at the end of the day, this pandemic is happening to ALL of us. It’s not just a situation that’s just affecting our country or continent. It’s affecting our entire planet. There’s no surefire timeline and we have more questions than answers right now, but I know one thing for sure.
We WILL get through this.
If you actually read all the way to this part of the post, THANK YOU! I appreciate it and hope that you found this helpful if you’ve been struggling at all recently. If you’ve felt like you’re alone in how you’ve been feeling – I promise you, you’re not.
Before I sign off, I’d like to encourage you to do a few very simple things:
- Do your best to have a bit more patience and compassion for others than usual.
- Be open to having conversations about what you’re experiencing and how you’re feeling. I promise that it helps, even if you don’t think you need it! This is a WEIRD time for all of us.
- Don’t beat yourself up for things that are outside of your control.
- Reach out to friends and family who haven’t been as talkative recently. You have no idea what they might be going through or if they need some kind of support and just don’t know how to ask for it.
- Lastly, please take good care of yourself – both physically and mentally.
Sending all my love and virtual hugs
