2022
Along this pandemic situation, there are already many discusses about that, including how to keep clean, how to avoid crowded place, how to look after if our loved ones sick, how to support paramedics squad, how to behave among others, what kind a healthy food that we have to consume, and so on, and so on.
But, there is one thing that we forgot, that human kind like to live in a group, at least two persons. If s/he has to live alone s/he will be lonely, then loose his spirit. That is why so many people are groaning about stay at home, because:
- Mostly we think that this is a short temporary condition, like somewhat two weeks or a month. But unfortunately the situation getting worse all over the world, so this is not short temporary anymore but already become an uncertainty period of time. And we are not ready to accept and to shift to the new situation. We have no plan B and not ready to run the changing steps.
- Shifting from “this is a vacation” to “this is the reality to make all activities from home” is not easy. It needs an emotional agility to do that. Emotional agility means you embrace the changing situation and we act based on our values of this changing situation.
- In usual daily life, we are busy. Busy to do many things until we think that 24 hours a day is not enough. In this unusual time, we suddenly stuck. Therefore we feel irritated, we are out of comfort zone. We also bored at things we have to face daily. We loss of control in our expression, we feel lonely and stress, even grief.
Inspiring by Susan David’s book about Emotional Agility, I suggest these four steps, so that we can overcome this unusual condition:
1. Accept the newness
One thing that we should have is an agility to face new situation. This agility makes us can overcome the shock, also we can move forward as soon as we can. Agility also means not stuck on the past but think a creative way to overcome the situation.
2. Embrace the change
Life is a changing process. There is circle of our control and there is circle of no control. Ups and downs happen in our life because we cannot control all things around us. After we accept the newness, we are ready to embrace the change. It means that we use changes as a vehicle to get a progressive results. Embrace the changes also makes our heart light because by embracing the changes, we know that there is a hope, and when there is a hope, there is a way.
3. Renew our state of mind
Sometimes we have to be forced to make a better life. If this is happen to us, this unusual time is the start to have a better life. This is not vacation, but this a new life style. We need a good learning style to run all thing by our own effort, without external forces. We also need a mature emotion to copying with unpleasant situation.
4. Re-build our inner world
After accept the newness, embrace the change and renew our state of mind, we rebuild our inner world. As you might know, inner world cannot be seen others. People only can see the tip of an iceberg. The biggest part of that iceberg, is that I mention as our inner world that contents our struggling. If you can smile in front of people, maybe deep inside your heart actually you are trying to survive. So, in this unusual condition, it also applied in our inner world. This time is the right time to rebuild our inner world. Maybe before pandemic situation, we cannot pay so much attention to our inner world, we just take it for granted. But while we stay at home like nowadays, we have so much time to sit and think a lot, we can trace back which part of our emotion that still need improvement. You also can finish the unfinished businesses, with your own feeling, your friend, your spouse, your family and, of course with your dreams. If we honesty admit our obstacles to the significant person, then our soul will be free.
As you might be agree that self- management is not mere about thinking, but also about physics and spiritual. If you really do the mind things like 4 items above, it will be a bigger impact if you also do physical exercise such as yoga, aerobic, dance, or anything else that you comfort to do. By physical exercise you pump oxygen to the brain and this will enhance your capacity to gain insights. This insights will make you capable to overcome new situation you face.
After that you can gain a fresh and healthy condition by building a closeness with God, whatever your religion is. It will strengthen us to face uncertain condition, even when we have to face grief or disappointments. With this you can relate your existence to God and belief that God always intents good thing to the humankind, including this unusual condition. We just need to belief that one day this is over and we have a better condition.
The new you now ready to connect with other people. Of course the time to make a togetherness has not coming yet, but we can connect through the internet. Connect with other people make our soul fresh and healthy. As I mention previously, we need other people that is our nature. So by keeping touch with others, we give a good feeding to our existence.
So, as a local guide, after practicing what I wrote above, I do these things to maintain my fresh and healthy condition:
- First of all is keep happy, clean and healthy
- Follow virtual meet up as long as I can
- Keep editing maps by tracing places I have been there, there are many changes we can help according to business hour in pandemic situation
- Keep reviewing places that I have to go, especially to the grocery store and book store
- Keep reviewing small businesses or restaurant that I bought their product.
How about you, guys? Share your experience in the comment below…
