From Lisa’s daughter, Haley: In times of great change, it is easy to lose sight of our “happy”. When things long awaited get postponed or canceled, when milestones get pushed off or your health is threatened, it surely can be hard to find the light at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately, the key to transitioning this challenge into a blessing is in your possession already. Its all about perspective.
This week, my college roommate and I went on a Social Distancing road trip. We spent the week travelling from one National Park to another, backcountry camping at each location. In doing this, we left everything we knew (including the ecosystems we are used to navigating) and spent hours each day traversing the unknown. Each day we had to plan what to do with our “free-time”, prioritizing singing silly songs and cooking macaroni on our small and somewhat-foreign ‘stove’. We had to carry our water out with us and prepare non-perishable foods for the week. This experience put us far outside of our comfort zone and forced us to figure out what was most important to ourselves and each other.
Being outside of our comfort zone allowed my roommate and I to re-evaluate our priorities, to communicate with one another, and to spend time doing what we loved most. In changing our daily routine this road trip allowed us to reinvent ourselves and our schedules to put the important things first.
In much the same way, this quarantine and period of uncertainty can allow you to reprioritize your life. In changing your daily routine, the COVID-19 quarantine period allows you to put important things first and to reinvent yourself! Without the extra 2 hours of commute every day, you now have time to pick up that book you’ve wanted to read for years, or improve your cooking skills. Instead of being required to be at the office for 8 hours, you can finish the work you have, and then spend your extra time learning to knit or play an instrument. The confusion and chaos of this time can certainly cause turmoil, but in an age where the world is at our fingertips, we have the ability to turn this unforeseen stress into a time of rest, rejuvenation, and re-evaluation.
Take time today, ask yourself what things are most important to you in this period of unknown, and seek those things actively.
Get More Happy 