Staying Grounded During COVID-19
Let’s address the elephant in the room (if you’re new around here - you can skip to paragraph 2). I haven’t been here in a while. For those who’ve enjoyed reading along, my sincerest apologies. My commitment to you is to keep writing consistently both on what courageous faith + obedience looks like, and how we can apply the Enneagram to keep growing both in our faith and in our personal relationships.
As.I re-enter writing here regularly, like me, you may be reeling from the unexpected and uncertain changes that seem to be taking place on the daily. Many of us or our people have lost their jobs or have been furloughed. Others fear for their health and what this all means for the future. Many of you are at home with all the people and all the feelings hoping to help your kiddos and your spouse work and learn from home. Or, you may have been thrown into working from home and figuring out what that even means.
Friends, I see you. I feel you. And quite frankly some of us have been surviving - putting one foot in front of the other, because, quite frankly, none of us have done this on this scale before.
As I’ve been connecting with the One Foot Community over the last week, there is one thing that stands out to me. How do you and I stay grounded? How do we choose to thrive when our next days and weeks are uncertain?
It all comes down to life giving rhythms. We need to hold on to the ones that we know already work for us. We can choose to be intentional about the rhythms that still work while we stay at home. And, we may even need to adopt new rhythms that bring us life while we’re staying home. If you’re looking for some ideas to keep you grounded, I’ve got you covered with a few of my recent thoughts.
Guard your heart
Proverbs 4:23 says this…
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ”
I don’t know about you, but for that first week I was in heavy learning mode. I spent hours watching the news, listening to interviews, reading articles. I wanted to be informed so I could make decisions for myself personally and for my business. But after awhile, a constant dose of the news is not good for my heart. I discovered that I was spending more time with the news than with God. So I chose, rather quickly, to guard my heart, spend time in God’s Word and in prayer, and to ration my news intake. You and I? We can choose to fill our minds and our hearts with hope. We can choose to prioritize filling our cup and trusting God with the rest.
Embrace the messy
Life is messy right now. We intended to be productive and keep a schedule, but instead our kids are playing video games and working from home is harder than we thought it would be. We are now living in a new normal - and we need some time to adjust. Let it be okay that your kids didn’t get through all the e-learning stuff that first day or week. Embrace the idea that maybe your schedule is off. Give yourself permission to not be as productive as you are when you work at the office.
Choose to step away
We all need to take breaks. And quite honestly, now more than ever. If you’re working from home, you need to put the keyboard down and step away from work regularly. If you are adjusting to school in your home, both you and your kids need a break. If you can’t work or have been laid off, you may need a break from sitting in your home. Give yourself regular breaks. Refuse to each lunch in your home office. Get out for a walk (Moose is currently living his best life right now with multiple walks a day). It’s been proven that changing it up and getting some movement in increases creativity…all I’m saying.
Do some good
God gave you the gifts and talents you have on purpose. Find ways to use your unique gifts to do some good. For some of us, that may mean helping on the front lines. Serving & making food. Running to the grocery store for the most vulnerable. Or it may be using what you have to encourage your people or do something they don’t know how to do. Think helping them prepare their taxes or reading a book out loud to them. Or leading a virtual bible study for your friends. Get creative and use what you have with where you are at.
Have fun
Whether you live alone or your entire clan is staying home, find some ways to have fun. Play games. Cook together. Send funny GIFs to your friends via text. Plan a virtual happy hour via Facetime or Google Hangouts.
Stay Connected
Last, but not least. Stay connected with your people. The friends who bring a smile to your face. The people who remind you of who God is and who He created you to be. If you can, bring your picnic chair to their house and sit in their yard and visit with them from 6+ ft away. Find ways to connect with your community from small groups via Zoom to a quick phone call to those you love.
And if you’re craving some connection to the One Foot Community, I’m hosting a FREE Sip & Socialize on Zoom Monday March 30th @ 7 pm. Just grab your fave beverage and show up.
So many great ideas, but if I’ve learned anything from coaching for over 6 years it’s this. You already know what gives you life. You already know what God is inviting you to do. You already know when something becomes not life giving or is keeping you from being grounded. So take a deep breath, ask yourself what that is, and start implementing one baby step at a time.