It’s another month with five Mondays. I guess it isn’t surprising that this phenomenon falls on arguably the longest month of the year - March! While spring is certainly inevitable, March in New England is rough, fluctuating between sleet, snow, fog, and glorious sunny days. It’s enough to give us whiplash. However, the addition of an extra Monday means I get to write a cross-over blog for Monday Musings and Dear Maggie!
In all my circles, professional and personal, we’ve been talking about re-entry. With vaccines rolling out, the world is slowly opening back up, but I think many of us are a bit shell shocked. The pause in our lives wasn’t just a blip on the radar, it encompassed an entire year. Now, we have to find our way back to normal, whatever that looks like.
Our difficulties with re-entry might be for different reasons. Maybe we’ve fallen into something of a rut, all too comfortable sticking close to home in our pajamas. Maybe we’re so out of practice with our routines that it seems daunting to restart them. Or maybe, we’re in the opposite position, and our work was vital during the pandemic, leaving us exhausted and wrung out.
Whatever the case, my first thought is that we should be gentle with ourselves. We’ve come through something daunting, something that our generation hasn’t ever faced in quite this way. It’s okay to feel disoriented. It’s okay to feel, well, whatever it is we’re feeling.
My formula for a gentle re-entry is to add things back slowly. I’ve already started with a few things I feel comfortable doing or that bring me joy, like attending yoga classes and going on hikes. Maybe for you it’s taking a walk or meeting a friend for coffee? Our family has also begun to plan travel, but instead of lavish vacations, we’re going to spend time visiting the family and friends we haven’t seen in person for a while.
The slower pace of lockdown wasn’t all bad, and I don’t want to forget some of the healthy lessons. As the world re-opens, I want to be purposeful with where I choose to spend my time, energy, and resources. My schedule often tipped into exhausting pre-lockdown, and there’s no need for that. Balance is my goal.
Pre-lockdown, I had some healthy habits around saying yes to new projects and activities. I’m going to dust them off and implement them again. One of those good habits was to sleep on something before committing to it. If I’m still enthusiastic after letting it sit for a while, then I know it’s a true yes and not a knee-jerk reaction to something that sounds interesting. As my schedule begins to fill again, I want to be sure I’m focused on the things that are most important.
As we’re able to gather in person again and the world begins to right itself, I’m looking forward to many things. I’m also admittedly a bit tentative, but I think that’s to be expected. We’ve had a rough go of it this last year, and it will take time to feel like we’ve fully emerge from our shells!
“Growth is measured by the gentleness and awareness with which we once again pick ourselves up. The openness with which we take the next unknown step into the remarkable mystery of being.” - Stephen Levine