What A Time - Covid 19

What a crazy time we are living in right now. Did you know that this moment we are in will be in history books world wide at some point. How insane is that? How are you holding up? How am I holding up? Honestly, this to me is just another day. 

It's just another day because this is my normal. The fear, the panic, the anxiety and though I've become really good at coping with that, it feels so natural to me. It's so natural that I haven't even bought toilet paper in weeks (mostly because now I can't) but while  everyone else was stocking up on toilet paper, I stocked up on lentils and bananas. I didn't actually stock up, I just bought what I normally buy though I did opt to do click and collect to keep myself at a safer distance. 

Bee and I live with my parents and they are older, I am also immuno-compromised and have asthma so we are all a bit more at risk. Bee and I were both sick and told to self isolate. I am blessed to live in a house with a backyard and across from a cemetery so we've still been able to get out on the nice days but not come into contact or be near anyone or anything that would put someone else at risk. But it's normal. It's my normal. I have social anxiety, I like to live a quiet but meaningful life. Being with family and doing things together is what I do. It's what we do. We aren't anti-social but we fill time with people we love and doing things we love. 

There is also this feeling I have deep down that it will be okay. Ever since I self-isolated and focused on me last November through February, I have come into a better space. I have hope, I hold onto that hope and feeling that it will be okay. I worked my ass off to get here, I'll be damned if I'm going to let it fall now. But then I think, I've been through so much shit the last 10 years, just horrible, traumatic shit. I'm in a much better space now and have learned so much. Maybe a part of my purpose is to help everyone through. To continue to spread the love, light and laughter. If my lungs and I survive what the Universe is throwing at us, I'll be there on the other side to help everyone get back up and find their new normal. To find more meaning, to find love, to find value and different perspectives. It's what I'm knowledgeable in. I have 10 years of experience on how to weather the bad storms, the downs, the shit storms, whatever life throws your way. I've got you. 

I was so ready to take on the world, 2020 was going to be my year, and it still will be. Not in the same way that I thought but I do believe what I need in my life, what I have put out to manifest will make its way to me, maybe just not the way I thought, again, totally normal for me. So what advice do I have for you right now? 

• Don't hoard toilet paper, or anything for that matter. I'm sure you all have some mismatched soaks, put those in a basket by the toilet, problem solved. Even better, you can wash and reuse them. Much more eco-friendly solution. 
• Breathe, maybe even try meditation, even if it's only for 5 minutes, get your mind elsewhere. Get out of your head for a few moments and if you need help, send me a message and I can distract you with funny memes or encouraging statements. 
• If you are able to and it's safe, get outside. Whether it be your balcony, backyard or park space/trails. Just remember to keep a safe distance from others (I excel at this, thanks social anxiety for the preparation) 
• Tell people you love them. Build and foster relationships from a distance and when the time is right, party! Take this time away to find the people in your life that you value, that you truly value and love. Work on keeping in touch with those people and plan things for when this craziness is over. The Universe is telling us to slow down, to connect with one another, do it. Connection is so important. Skip the handshakes when we are all allowed back out of our rooms and go for hugs, full 20 second hugs. For everyone, especially the essential workers who are helping us all survive. 
• Be kind. Every day Bee and I have completed an act of kindness. We don't showboat this but we do it out of the love and kindness in our heart. Everyday you can do something kind, send a message to someone you know is alone, let them know you are thinking of them. Send people treat baskets or cards, paint rocks and leave them on trails, write encouraging messages on your sidewalks or windows. just spread love, hope and kindness. Many places in my small, awesome as fuck community, are sending food and drinks to our local ER and paramedic places. Trust me, restaurant people have always had a high standard of being clean and washing hands, they know how to keep bacteria from spreading. Support those local people. Buy gift-cards to use when places open again, order takeout, heck we drove over an hour today to our favourite restaurant to support them at this time and because the Indian food there is so delicious and we love them and want to support them through this. We are blessed to be able to do so, I realize not everyone can financially do that but there are so many free ways to be find. 
• Try new things. What better time to try some new recipes than now. you have the time and resources. One of my vision board manifestations was to eat healthier, more plant based so I've been trying a few new recipes and they've turned out okay. 
• If you want to stay in leggins, sweatpants or pj's all day, you go for it! If you want to get up and get ready and put on jeans, go for it!
• If you want to wear a mask, do it, if you don't do it (just keep quiet about those that are choosing too)
• If you want to stay in your space for atleast 14 days (or are mandated to, welcome back Canadians) do it, if you like to get out for walks while maintaining a safe distance, fresh air is great. Even opening your windows is a great way to get some fresh air. 
• If you have kids, well, good luck. Now is a great time to teach them to be more independent, hello making PB and J sandwiches! Bee now knows how to make a handful of things and do some light cleaning. We also have a boredom jar in which she goes to get a stick from and does whatever activity is on it. Also, it's okay if you complete ignore the recommendations on screen time right now, I caved and bought Disney+ and let me tell you, rainy days are great for screen time. Snacks can be bowels of cereal or microwave popcorn. Even non-rainy days are great for screen time. It's all about us keeping out shit together in whatever way works best for our families and not criticizing others for their choices. Whether some moms have colour coded schedules and some are free for alling it, we all cope and manage to the best of our families. 
• Stop comparing how others are coping. You do NOT, I repeat you do NOT have a right to criticize someone for how they are choosing to cope (unless their being assholes and purposely coughing on food at grocery stores or buying skids full of toilet paper) but how you cope and how someone else copes will  not be the same so just send love, quite with the hate.
• Reach out. If your mental health has taken a blow, in which mine does sometimes throughout the day, reach out. Find a buddy you can vent to, someone who will listen and send nothing but love and encouragement to hep you through. This situation, the measures we are being told to take, it's going to alter people's mentality. We may very well be seeing a lot of people who become more obsessive about cleaning, or being more cautious and self isolate far beyond what they are use to. We need to keep in touch socially but distance physically. 
• Recognize that this event has caused some beauty. Look at the difference it is making in regards to mother nature. Our environment. We collectively, as humankind, are working together world wide to get through this. Never before has this been seen. We have people globally working together to create a vaccination, some already being in the testing phase (whether you agree with vaccinations or not, this is a phenomenal thing to be witnessing). Communities coming together to help those in need, the more vulnerable, the people on the front lines, those out creating fun window scavenger hunts, drawing on sidewalks, sending encouraging notes, supporting one another. Young people offering older people assistance to get whatever they need. The people who are practicing physical distancing, the world right now in this moment is united, it's united with love and a fear of what may happen but we are united. Never has a moment in history made such an impact and while some thing it's a hoax or inconvenience and people are sadly dying, you cant deny the incredibly, powerful unity it has created. Of course some leaders don't fall into this category, no names mentioned, but us to the North, in Canada, it's not us. Slow down and listen to the birds, listen to the stillness and quiet. Some people thrive on being busy but we all need some moments of quiet in our lives and it's forcing us to quiet and be still. To come together in love and support for one another. 
• I'm super jealous of the people who live in apartments with all their balcony music parties and workouts and singing, it's beautiful to see but I am also thankful for my backyard space to get out and get my hands in the dirt and connect because disassociation has been hard lately. To plan for a quieter world. Enjoy your space, make it a place where you feel the peace and quiet so when the world gets back on track, you don't lose that feeling of peace and warmth (unless you are isolates by yourself, I can see that being very hard for a lot of you and all you will want to do is be by people and that's okay too) 

I'll leave it at that for now. Basically, attend to your soul and those of the souls around you, spread love, laughter and light. Breathe, reach out, we will all get through this together and come out stronger. Take it from someone who has been knocked down by life countless times over the last decade, you don't have to look for the positives if you don't want to, it is perfectly normal to feel a sense of loss for so much, a lot has been taken away.  It's okay to feel sad and depressed and hopeless, those are all NORMAL reactions to what is going on. I've been there. I've been there more than once. I'm on the other side now and want to let you know, we will come out stronger and if you can't feel that right now, it's okay. I'm here to hold it for all of us. I will be there to reach out my hand to you when the time comes. DO what you need to do in order to cope and survive. With love, you will get back to a new normal. We as a world will find a new normal together and I'll be there at the front leading the line with love and laughter. 

Keep healthy and safe and if you need someone to reach out to, contact info page is just above!