By: Jana Greco, M.Ed. Educator, Emotional Intelligence Coach and Trainer, Author
As though we all needed another lesson in adaptability . . . Covid-19 taught us once again, that WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL. While this is a difficult concept for many of us to absorb, there are some of us who gracefully roll with uncertainty.
And roll, and roll, and roll! And those of us who typically roll with changes in direction have something in common. We can accept things as they are, we can pick up the ball, and we can run!
We don’t react; we respond.
Check out what some of us did with our time during the dreaded Covid-19 lockdowns:
Got a lot more sleep
Kept our houses much cleaner
Saved money from NOT spending it at Starbucks and at bars
Found more time for ourselves
Got into better health habits and exercise routines
Cooked gourmet meals and tried new recipes
Enjoyed quality time with our loved ones
Slowed our fast-paced lives down a bit
Connected with even MORE people
Got pregnant
Binge watched all kinds of stuff on Netflix
Gave our pets the attention they’ve been dying for
Connected with nature
Caught up on reading
Washed the cars
Went hiking
Had pillow fights
Baked a ton of cookies
Hosted Zoom Happy Hours
Pampered spouses
Connected with our favorite AATH Pals . . . my personal favorite
Sometimes, it’s as simple as acceptance. Right? No? Whaaat?
Alright, alright . . . maybe after all this time, things can become a bit monotonous. Maybe you’re running out of fresh ideas to keep yourself going during these crazy uncertain times, right?! Afterall, you’ve already modified your life for the past several months . . . what else can you do??? LET’S REFRESH!!
Think Bigger!
Alright, so you cleaned your house. Did you get organized? Let’s tackle those picture albums you’ve been meaning to put together. Create a custom calendar for someone with Vista Print. It’s fun for you, and they will love it! And for the love of God, get rid of those dried-up pens!!
Stop reading books and write one. You can do it!! Yeah-huh!!
Continue adding to your self-care regiment. This is needed now more than ever! Give yourself a facial, take a bath in Epsom salts, try a coffee enema, paint your nails with fancy designs, do yoga, learn breathing techniques and meditate, try Qigong, boost your immune system with low impact exercises.
Did you know that the research shows Qigong helps strengthen your immune system and lowers incidence of upper respiratory infections?Now you do!And there are plenty of Qigong videos you can follow online . . . totally free!
Create! Get acquainted with a buddha board . . . talk about Zen!
Paint an old piece of furniture you thought you were going to pitch, and bring it back to life. Practice bartending and create your own signature drinks! Then assign them fun signature names.
Many of you tried a new recipe, but did you try an international recipe? BTW, there are celebrity chefs who offer cooking classes online. How cool is that?!
Sign up for Duolingo and teach yourself a new language. Or at least make sure you’re able to correctly pronounce that sexy international dish you just made! Remember the episode of Rules of Engagement where Adam mispronounced the Indian Dish he was ordering? Check it out on YouTube, or better yet, watch that episode . . . it’s freaking hilarious!
Play board games with your family or significant other and create personal coupons for prizes... you know, with kind things you might do for them.
Set a goal and ACHIEVE IT!! Small goal, big goal . . . anything. Achieving a goal feels amazing! And celebrate those goals!
Take a look at what I worked on over the past several months, and believe me, I achieved AND I CELEBRATED! Yes, I conquered constipation!!! Woohoo! 😂
Have a Karaoke night! You can do it with friends, you can do it on Zoom, you can do it with family, heck . . . I live by myself and I do it all the time. Do it now! Do it loud! Do it with passion! Do it with the windows open! You can always apologize to your neighbors afterward. 😉
Go on a virtual field trip, they aren’t just for kids. Actually, you can tour the entire world virtually! And you can totally skip going through customs!
Sure, we’re living in uncertain times. But we can bring familiarity, excitement, and fun into that mix! Life is what we make it. We just have to make sure we physically distance while we’re socially connecting and uniting.
Let’s continue to find ways to stay connected . . . it’s what makes us human!
About the Author:
Jana Greco is an educator, an emotional intelligence coach and trainer, and a published author. She's also the founder of Emotional Intelligence Matters, LLC. During Jana's graduate studies, which was in educational leadership, she completed a master's thesis on the importance of emotional intelligence
in school leaders relative to teacher morale issues. Using data obtained from her colleagues, she was able to help bridge the gap between administrators and teachers in her district. Jana enjoys training educators in emotional intelligence to better equip them for teaching our young children in the area social and emotional learning. Jana is currently In level II of the Humor Academy working to become a certified humor professional (CHP) through AATH. Her strengths are developer, empathy, connectedness, achiever, and woo.