Most of us have things that we want to do and things we have to do. I found myself wishing there was more time to pursue both of them. How many times have you said, “I wish I had some time to stay home to [pick one]: clean my house, organize my closets, catch up on laundry, rearrange the kitchen cabinets, clean out the garage. You might also have said, “I need to catch up on my reading/movies and spend more time with my family”.
All of those were things that I thought would make me feel better or more in control of my life at home, my family and myself. I also thought if I stayed home, I would have time to go to the gym, exercise and control my weight.
Now what I say is be careful what you wish for.
I have been spending more time at home for the past eight or nine months. I may be losing track of the days of the weeks, but at this point I now have the most organized closets, the cleanest garage, and no backup on laundry. I’ve read what I want, and I’ve been watching one of my favorite movie series in chronological order. Unfortunately, I have also gained 15 pounds as I have not been distancing myself from the kitchen.
I miss the in-person to person contact. I miss having the choice of going where I want; and I miss feeling good about the activities that I do. I worry about my family and friends, and what the “new” future will be for all of us.
Those of us who write or keep journals, find that writing is one way to help us focus and find direction. For some of us it is a hobby, for others it may be a profession and for many people it is just therapy. For me it’s a little of all three. I find it easy to write and have always written letters, sent notes, and written short stories that I shared with family and friends.
Years ago, when I first started to write, I expected that the words would just flow and fill the pages and I would write the great American novel, that didn’t happen. Although I am never put off by the blank page; I'm surprised to find that I struggle to fill the blank page. It took time until I learned why I wanted to write and what I wanted to write about.
Once I did, I found that writing helped my focus, eliminated stress and cleared the negative thoughts from my mind. I became a more positive person and that is how I deal with social distancing and staying safe, staying in place, and covering my face.
How are you maintaining a positive attitude? One way is to identify what it is that inspires and motivates you and then adapt it to how you are living now. Next approach it with the right attitude, a belief in yourself and confidence in your own abilities.
I have shifted my focus and no longer stress over things I have no control over and I can't do. I focus my energy on what I can do and create.
All of us can achieve what we want with the right approach.