You know what I realized recently?
This whole time, I’ve been waiting for that moment when some authority declares that we are no longer in a pandemic. When there’s an official end, a marker in time that signals everything is safe now. When we can finally say, “oh yeah, during the pandemic, I did this…”
We’re not getting that. There will be no End of COVID Declaration Day, no time when we officially drop masks for good and don’t even have to think about spreading a deadly virus. It will just slowly become less of a big deal and will be embedded into our daily lives.
But rather than treat that thought as worst-case scenario, what if instead we just decide we’re going to adapt?
And then, taking that one step further, what if we take that ability to decide and apply it to our life mindset and general well-being?
Sometimes it may not seem like it, but we actually do have a fair amount of control over our thoughts and our reactions to what happens in our lives—it’s all about reframing and mindset shifts.
This is profoundly exemplified in this (life-changing, in my opinion) episode of Brené Brown’s podcast on Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle. Aside from experiencing our feelings all the way through, so much of how we can break out of burnout lies in signaling to our bodies that the period of stress is over, that we’re safe.
And so I think to myself...if I can decide to do that, I can decide on a lot of other things, too.
I can decide to live my life as fully and abundantly as possible in a pandemic while still protecting myself and those around me.
I can decide to start going into the office one day a week to add more variety and dimension to my life, and that my commute serves as some good me-time.
I can decide it’s okay to not have all the answers right now.
I can decide that I’m really good at what I do and that the daunting projects I have on my plate are fun.
I can decide to trust in my future self to handle whatever comes her way.
I can decide that I am now settled and comfortable after some major life transitions and that it’s time to start building my next chapter.
I have spent so much energy in my life waiting for the dust to settle, to feel normal and stable, for that “stressful period at work” to end, for my to-do list to be cleared, for someone to tell me it’s okay to proceed.
But that’s not how life works. Ultimately, it’s up to me. And with these affirmations and others, it’s possible for me to sink into my life and get comfortable where I am.
It’s possible to just live.