Self Matters: The Silver Lining in the COVID-19 Cloud

Around the world, people are grappling with unprecedented stressors and a heightened uncertainty about when relief will come. This is not news. The media report unsettling newscasts around the clock, sometimes minute by minute. Yet, the pandemic offers unique opportunities for self-renewal and revitalization. Innumerable happy stories go untold. People are finding inventive ways of thriving and flourishing and giving. The outpouring of generosity of time, energy, and resources is immense. Here are some ways you can participate in the uplifting wave of celebration and fulfillment. Our hope lies in our creativity and spirituality. 

First Things First

The first and most powerful activity you can engage in is a heart-to-heart talk with your journal. Start a new journal practice or strengthen your existing practice: A friend told me recently, “Get thee to thy journal.” Write everything—your thoughts, celebrations, fears, hopes, whatever your mind and body are telling you. Let it all spill onto the page, unapologetically. I write strong entries in red ink. Your journal is the one place where you have freedom to express yourself no matter how “dark” or “inappropriate” you think your thoughts are. Thoughts are not actions. Thoughts and feelings let us know, in any given moment, our interpretation of experiences and events and how they support or violate our values.

Record five Gifts of the Day. This is gratitude on Wheaties. Throughout your day, pause from time to time and notice your surroundings, what you are doing, the people with whom you are interacting, the magnificence of your body. Carve out 15 minutes each evening to reflect on your day and feel the uplifting energy of the day’s Gifts which may range from reading a poem from a grandchild to finding a $100 bill on the sidewalk to savoring solitude after a day of interacting with others. You will be amazed at how many miracles show up when you pay attention.

What Else Can You Do?

The second most important activity during this time involve self-care such a long, leisurely baths, walks outdoors when there are few people out, naps and plenty of sleep, reading while listening to soothing music, developing a flexible routine—not a schedule. Know it is okay to say, “No” to what exhausts or does not appeal to you and “Yes” to what nurtures you.

• Write an op-ed for your local newspaper or one of the national newspapers or magazines.
• Write letters to your members of congress.
• Write a scathing letter to someone without plans to send it. Ceremoniously destroy it.
• Begin or increase your spiritual practices.
• Find ways to connect with others—email, phone, videoconferencing, outdoor walks with a friend making sure to maintain social distancing and wearing masks,
• Know you are not alone. The global community is in the throes of hard-to-understand circumstances.

Take an Inside Tour

The pandemic offers a unique opportunity for reflection and introspection. Visit the “Journal Prompts” link here on CreateWriteNow for a wide range of questions and quotes to stimulate your inner journey. Or you may want to create your own questions. What do you want to know about you? How do you truly feel about …? What would make your life more fulfilling? Pull out photos or photos on your phone and write about them. Write about photos you see on the news, in magazines and newspapers, or in books. Open your journal, get out your favorite pen, light a candle, play soothing music, sit in a comfy chair, close your eyes, notice the thoughts that come to you. Are they “the usual stuff?” That is okay. Just let them float by. When a thought intrigues you, decide whether to engage your attention. Start writing. You may want to vary the music. Different rhythms and tunes activate our brain differently.

Videoconferencing Is Accessible to Almost Everyone

Video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, and FaceTime for iPad users are lifesavers that provide innumerable options for meeting with friends, family, colleagues, medical and mental health professionals, and more—no matter where each person is located. You can access them on your computer, cellphone, or tablet. You may even want to record your meeting—be sure to get permission from other participants. Meetings may be as small as two people or in the hundreds. Participants do not need an account to “attend.” The meeting organizer sends an invitation outlining the meeting access. Recipients click the access link and follow the simple instructions for entering the meeting.

I have attended retreats, workshops, fundraising events, my writing groups, appointments with my therapist, book clubs, award ceremonies, and more. Some of my meetings include participants worldwide, a feat not possible for in-person events. I attended a six-week writing class in which the instructor and two of the participants were in New England and one lived in the United Kingdom. We, thus, have access to events, activities, and people we may not have been able to reach otherwise. A neighbor in my apartment complex is continuing her piano lessons online as her instructor made the switch to videoconferencing. Physical therapists, yoga instructors, and others now offer virtual interactions with their clients. Some innovative groups have musicians practice their part in a score, after which they meet as a group on videoconferencing and play the whole piece. Some of these “concerts” may be found on YouTube.

The Worldwide Web and Other Possibilities

The Internet is a treasure trove of opportunities for learning and experiencing. Here are other tips for flourishing during this time:

• Laugh. A hearty, tears-in-your-eyes belly laugh. Watch funny videos and movies. Watch the adventures of children’s animated shows. Look up funny jokes in your favorite search engine. Laugh even if the jokes or ideas strike you as “corny” or silly. Call a friend who makes you laugh or with whom you can share something amusing. A friend posted on a Messenger thread a photo of an old pair of shoes with the caption that she just found them in the corner of her closet and was throwing them away. I called a friend and told her I finally found my can opener. The point is to connect with others and lighten your mood.
• Learn something new. Think about what you have always wanted to do but for various reasons, you did not. Make a list in your journal. What jumps off the page and grabs you by the collar, all the while screaming, “Now is the time to do this!”
• “Travel” the world or your neighborhood. YouTube, the History Channel, the Smithsonian, National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, and others offer well-researched and produced virtual tours. Enter words in your favorite search engine such as, “castles in Europe,” “AKA (American Kennel Association) dog contests,” “small yellow flowers” if you are trying to identify a neighbor’s plant. Whatever your interest, your search engine can offer myriad sites.
• “Attend” a fine arts exhibit or performance art production. Many venues offer openings of exhibits and productions without an audience.
• Join or create an online book club. I live in the Midwest, and “attend” a book club based in Brooklyn, New York.
• Check with your local library for offerings of books, videos, and magazines you can request, then pick up curbside. Some libraries offer virtual classes, reading challenges, and seminars.
• Create a Block Party—themed would be fun.  Each neighbor could contribute from their front yard for a talent show or a “wash-off” where neighbors pull their cars into their driveways and wash them at the same time. If someone has a sound system, great! Involve the whole family. Add to the fun with each neighbor having a cookout in their driveway.
• Organize a car parade for someone who cannot leave their home. The occasion could be to wish them Happy Birthday, celebrate a holiday important to them, or to just say, “We miss you and we are thinking about you.”
• Invent something. This is a great time to dig out the craft supplies and see what happens.
• Explore the Internet for topics that interest you, just because you are curious.
• Find a therapist or support group. Most are offering services via videoconferencing.
• Start a virtual business. What skills do you have that can bring fun, enjoyment, and recreation to others?
• Write a letter, blog post, email, or essay about a topic you feel passionate.
• Go on a day trip to a national forest, lake, or wildlife refuge.

Journal Exercise

• Set a timer for 15-20 minutes to make a list of all you have done—jobs, hobbies, volunteer work, recreation—and are doing that bring you joy, comfort, and peace.
• What did you do pre-COVID-19 that can be converted into an online venture?
• For each item, consider ways of bringing more of those elements into your life. Invite people to join you on videoconferencing. Families and other groups have held reunions and other celebrations online.
• Get busy and see where it takes you. Epiphanies and insights may reward you.

So, What Now?

Despite our best efforts, anxiety and depression may settle in. The truth is we cannot control what happens in the world and the issues may fill us with feelings of terror. We can, however, control some aspects of our own life. 

Get your creative juices flowing. Allow yourself the gift of surprise. What can you do right now to soothe and comfort the quivering voice in you? Leave your comments below.

Happy Writing!

Author bio:

Billie Wade, a lifelong journaler, believes people are precious, sacred, resilient, and stronger than they know. She created Journaling to Heal, LLC which helps people discover the power of writing in their process of recovery from emotional stress and trauma. Visit her at www.billiewade.com and find more of her writing on www.dmpcc.org/billie where she writes a monthly newsletter column for Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center.