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It seems that everyone I speak to is finding things tough right now. I know I am. A friend of mine advised me to let go & have a cry. 4hrs later & still crying, I had my doubts about her wisdom.
I realised that what I was feeling was absolute exhaustion. I am exhausted from coping for too long, from keeping everything together, from being too many things to too many people day in day out. I am exhausted by the fear of what is to come.
I know I’m not alone. I know that many, MANY of us feel the same way. So I’m going to share with you what psychological nuggets are getting me through.
Firstly, I think we tend to forget just how much we have endured this year. We humans are immensely adaptable, but in adapting we sometimes forget to take into account our situations. I find myself wondering why I am tearful or snippy or bone tired.
It’s because we are LIVING THROUGH A GLOBAL TRAUMA. And it’s because we’ve been doing this for a very long time now. Of course we’re exhausted. Of course we’re tearful.
We also forget how incredible we are. We have spent the past year living through something we have until now only seen in movies. We have struggled, we have suffered. And we get up every day and do it again.
That is some bloody hero stuff!!
That is some bloody hero stuff!!
We want this time of year to be joyous. But the truth is, life continues & the same is true every year. Some years are joyous. Some are just damn hard. We love Christmas movies for a reason, because they are a fantasy of how we want the world to be.
It’s not going to be that this year. And that’s okay.
We worry about what tomorrow will bring. Of course we do. Honestly, that’s too much for any of us to deal with. We have so much to bear today, tomorrow is too big an ask. When you can, focus on being where you are. Focus on the moment you are in, on your breathing. Focus on now.
It may sound like an obvious thing, but do what brings you joy. That takes actual CONSCIOUS effort in a disaster situation. We tend to think all of our cognitive processes need to be focused on the disaster. The truth is, that’s too much. It will overwhelm us.
This is a marathon, not a sprint, so we have to conserve energy to handle the next challenge. So find what brings you joy. Sing, read, dance, play with your kids. Whatever it is, make a conscious effort to incorporate it into your routine.
Think of it as taking in the energy you need for the next mile.
We may not be able to do just what we want or be with the people we want to be with. We may not be able to make the world what we want it to be. But PLEASE remember how strong you are. Please remember what you have already done & just what you have achieved.
It may not feel like it, but to endure what we have endured is something to be celebrated. So cry, scream, throw things. Then laugh at yourself and eat some chocolate and tell yourself that you are bloody awesome. And that you will make it through whatever comes next.
