I am now coming to the end of my 7th full week in “lock-down”. From day one, Friday 13th March, ironic eh, I took on a new challenge, Journaling, which for so long I had been telling others to try, but I hadn’t actually taken the time to try myself, mainly because I just didn’t have the time! Crazy, I know! At first, I was sceptical and cautiously worried that this was something I would take on for a short while but wouldn’t be able to keep up, boy was I wrong. What I have learned about myself and the world I live in over the last number of weeks (48 days to be precise), through my journaling, is incredible. Today, as I sat in bed I looked at the question which lay before me;
“What has COVID-19 taught me?”
As I began to write, I was very surprised by how quickly ideas started to flood my page, I totally lost myself in this prompt which in itself was a surreal experience for me. I had no idea I had learned so much in just 7 weeks. So, rather than a blog, consider this a journal entry or even a step inside my crazy little mind, for now, grab yourself a nice warm drink, sit back, relax and enjoy as I take this opportunity to share some of those thoughts and ideas with you.
I have learned that…This virus was sent to teach us all a lesson, to make use stop, to give us time to think, to encourage us to appreciate the little things again i.e. the sound of the birds, the impact we have on the environment and who and what are the most important people and things in our lives.
I have learned that…It is OK to slow down, take time or make time for yourself, not to always be rushing here there and everywhere or feel you have to or should do this, that and the other. It is OK to not have things to do, people to see, places to go, its OK to just do nothing sometimes. In fact, it is even a good thing to just do nothing more often. Self-care is vital because what good are you to anyone else if you can’t even look after yourself.
I have learned that…Take your own advice – so good at giving advice to others and being there to support and offer a helping hand but what about for myself?
I have learned that…Appreciate the little things and more importantly the people that are important to me and who I miss spending time with i.e. family and friends. Nothing else really matters.
I have learned that…There are things in life we simply cannot control. I mean who would have ever imagined at Christmas that three months later we would be facing into a worldwide pandemic such as COVID-19. So, focus only on the things that you can control, mainly yourself, your own goals, your own behaviour and taking care of yourself.
I have learned that…It is so important to stop, take a step back and evaluate where you are in your life, what you have been through to get to where you are right now, what you achieved along the way. In order to really appreciate where you are and where you have come from to get there. Focus on the positives, don’t let the past consume you and don’t worry about what the future holds.
I have learned that…Take it one day at a time. None of us know how we are going to feel when we wake up every day. So, when it is a good day, take it and run with it and when it’s a bad day, that’s OK too, it wont last forever.
I have learned that…Technology isn’t all bad – its how much time we spend on it unnecessarily that is bad and what we look at and how it makes us feel sometimes. However, without technology during COVID-19 I would not have been able to stay in contact with friends and family as much as I have, both near and far and for that I am truly grateful.
I have learned that…Life simply cannot go back to the way it was before COVID-19. Things have to change and each of us is now responsible for what happens going next.
Some might call this; “The Great Realisation” or “Hindsight 2020” (see the video below) but I think we can all learn a thing or two during this time. The moral of my story is…it shouldn’t have taken a virus to make me realise these things but I am so grateful to have this time now, time I may never have again, in my lifetime. I felt like this might be good to share with you all and I have no doubt that I am not alone so…“What have you learned?”
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