What Day Is This?

If you are like me, I have to have structure to my days – some plan for the day.  During this time of being “safer at home” it is even more important. When every day starts to seem exactly like the day before, it may be time to do something different. When you easily get confused about what day of the week it is, it may be time to do something to distinguish the days.

Most of my day is spent in my home office.  Doing what you may ask (or not)?  I reach out to my mentees, contact family and friends, plan menus, practice my Spanish, attend virtual board and committee meetings, write, write, write, and write.  After several weeks of being home, like many others I miss my friends, volunteer organizations and in person interactions with others.

For me being retired never meant staying home.  It never meant that I would just be home relaxing.  I have always had to keep moving, learning, helping, laughing, and growing.  The most time I ever took off was a week and on occasion, two weeks.

Retirement for me meant time to focus on the things that bring me joy – helping others, mentoring, sharing experiences.   Now it is a necessity – to stay healthy and to help others do that as well.  So, I want to suggest some things that may help other type A structured people like me (I know you may have a different word for it but let us be nice)!

• Get up every morning full of hope, gratitude, and a sense of conquering the day – make your bed, shower, get dressed.
• It is Ok to give yourself permission to take in the gravity of what’s going on around us but do not let yourself succumb to depression or hopelessness – we will get through this.  It will be hard as we do it and harder on the other side trying to our lives back together, but we will do it.
• Take a break from your usual workspace every once in a while.  I always work in my office but sometimes I get writer’s block or just a general lack of creativity – so visit another space in your home if you have it or even work outside.  Think of it as a day away from the office.
• Try to take a few minutes each day to be kind to yourself – meditate, have breakfast for dinner, dessert for lunch, watch the neighborhood kids who go by on their bikes or play a game of catch.  Enjoy the evening sky where in most major cities we can now see actual stars.  Allow yourself to exhale for just a few minutes.

Take time each day to reach out to lift someone else – smile, laugh, be compassionate, offer to help – connect, reconnect, then connect again.

Normal is defined as something that is the usual, average, or typical state or condition.  Nothing about this is normal.  As I said in a previous post, I don’t consider what we are doing to be the “new normal.”  We are working our way towards the new normal and a lot of what we are doing now will be a part of it.  As we find this new normal let us not lose ourselves and the absolute best parts of us all!