So, here's the deal. I started a podcast based on my writings in this blog. The podcast, aptly named The Anastasia Project, has been born during the Coronavirus Pandemic, a time when we have been told to stay home, to "shelter-in-place" - during a time when we can not go out to eat, or gather at our favorite places, go to work or even visit our own families. When life seems uncertain and even a bit scary. I decided to get my creative juices flowing and start talking as well as writing. My first episode is about this very topic, how to cope when your life has been..well...flipped upside down.
I've heard from so many people. I've heard from people who have lost their jobs, have kids at home and are now homeschooling, who's kids should have been graduating in May or June and starting college int he fall, but now have no idea what is going to happen. Can they even pay for college? And, Iv'e also heard from people who are like, yea, the works has changed, but MY life hasn't changed,yet i'm sort of feeling nervous because I'm afraid something might happen to make it change. And, I'm going to admit - everyone is talking about how scary and different their lives are right now, and honestly, my life is pretty much the same. I mean, I'm scared about what's going on in the world, but MY personal world hasn't changed that much. So, I'm a bit anxious sometimes from wondering if that's going to happen.
So, wherever you fall in all of this, what I really want you to know is we will survive this, right? You know that you're going to be OK, both from a health perspective and also a financial perspective. No matter what happens, you are 100% going to survive. NOT surviving this shouldn't even be a though in your mind. The question in your mind shouldn't be "how am I going to survive?" It should be, "How am I going to thrive?" So, what does it mean to thrive in this situation?
Let's break it down into steps:
Step #1 - Plan for the worst. What was your wake up call for all of this? When did you know this was going to be something serious? When there were no more sports? When schools closed? when you could no longer go to work, and working from home became mandatory? How about when parks and beaches closed, or when wearing a mask to a store became the norm? For me, it was when I saw the Plexiglas partitions at the supermarkets and the great toilet paper shortage of all time began. I started thinking of the worst case scenario for me. But, instead of having anxiety, going to bed so I wouldn't have to think about things, or joining the masses and panic buying every package of toilet paper on the shelves, I instead imagined the absolute worst thing that could happen - and this is for ME - and what would I do? How would I handle it? What is my plan? What if I lost my job and couldn't pay my bills? If I had no one around me who could help? What if I lost my home and I had to move out and I used all my savings? What would I do? So I sat down with my boyfriend and we talked about it and he said, "I got you bro" and just like that, I knew I would be OK. WE would be OK because we have each other and we know who we are and I was at peace. But, I also have peace because money and objects do not have a hold on me. I'm not materialistic. Of course I know I need an income, but I'm not consumed with spending and I also know I have a life path. If I'm supposed to have everything taken away from me at this stage of my life, then I must also trust that I will eventually have these things again, and maybe even more. Life can be kinda hectic, kinda crazy, when you have a lot of responsibilities, a lot of things.
Step #2 - You can not control the rough sea. What do I mean by that? I mean, the sea (aka life) gets rough. It gets choppy or downright stormy and you feel like you can't navigate, or you can't go any further. But, you can. You just have to be able to change course. At times, you might have to turn around and go back to where you were. Think oft his time as a storm at sea. During that storm, you have to stay calm; I mean, if you make a decision out of panic (ie: buying ALL the toilet paper) the outcome could make the situation worse. The people right now who are overwhelmed and trying to control things and ar thinking our of fear, or maybe even trying NOT to think of what could happen - trying not to think about losing their jobs or their businesses going under or about homeschooling in the fall...that is actually kinda dangerous. It will create more anxiety for you. Instead, say, "OK, what will we do? How will we handle this?" Because you CAN handle this!
Step #3 - Think of all the positives that have happened already. I wanna help you do that, OK? I want you to ask yourself, "How are things different? Where are the positives? What is happening that is actually making me like this?" I'm telling you, there are positive things happening, and maybe the longer we're "stuck" like this, the better. In terms of how society will bee impacted. I know, people are saying the longer this goes on, the harder it's going to be on the economy. YES! TRUE! I agree. But, there's always a flip side to things guys. I know you're probably not thinking this at the moment, but the benefits are going to come to your well-being. We live in a world of stress and stress causes all kinds of health issues, both physical and mental - things like cancer, high blood pressure, leaky gut, overeating, drinking, anxiety, medicating - and all these things are killing us! What if we just focused on reducing our stress? Listen, I think the number of deaths from those stress related diseases I just listed far out weights the deaths from Rona, but we do fucking nothing. NOTHING! People thing, well...this is just my life, nothing is going to change, so I'm gonna just keep going and going and going and it's killing us. But, along comes Rona, and we all go into quarantine. We go into our homes and we shut down, right? We are forced to change the way we live our lives now. We've stopped running from one place to the next. We no longer quickly grab something to eat and run off to soccer practice and then music lessons and then back home to a rushed evening of homework, getting ready for bed, to get up and do it all over again. All that hurrying, all that rushing and chasing, is gone. Our stress is lower. Pollution has diminished. Nature is reclaiming Herself. To, I think there are many positives and I think even just focusing on those, instead of the negatives, will lower your stress and keep you both mentally and physically balanced.
So, what change that you've been dealing with these past several weeks are positive? And no, our lives will never be the same - life WILL be different. But, I hope it's going to be different in all the right ways. I mean, I don't know it will, but I hope so. I think the way we work is going to change. I think employers are gonna realize that their employees are just as effective, and far less stressed and are happier, when they're working from home. I think we've realized that in the last few weeks, right? Maybe it won't be all business - not everyone can work from home. That's unrealistic. But, my hope is that at least half realize DAMN! we actually CAN work remotely! We don't all have to rush int he mornings, leave our homes and be a body in an office chair from exactly 9-5. I mean, I haven't worked exactly 8-5 everyday while working from home. Some days I start earlier, some later. Some days I go for a walk or workout before I start my day and I don't stress about my time. I get my time in and I've actually been more efficient these past several weeks than I've been in years. If I want to wake up later and workout, I mean, as long as my work is getting done, that's how we SHOULD be working! I've always thought it's so unnatural that people are forced to work specific hours - hours when maybe you're not at your most creative or hours when your family might need you. I've heard from friends and co-workers that they're able to accomplish so much more and still get their work done and they're feeling centered and happy. I think those are the ways our world could change for the better, right? And look - it's not just us - it's the whole freaking world!
But, I also know you may be struggling with all of these changes and it's so fucking real when it's financial. It's very concerning when the suicide rate is so high. According to Loudwire.com, the suicide rates could increase by 32% due to the Coronavirus. Like, that's VERY real! And if you've lost your job, your job now is to find a job! If you get laid off, what do you do? You know that side hustle you invested a couple hundred bucks into, the one that's currently just a hobby because your life was running at breakneck speed before Roan paid a visit? Well, WORK IT NOW! Now, that hobby is your bread and butter. Dont' ahve a side hustle? Now is the time to get one. Your job is now to be valuable, a way to be part of the economy. Think about how you can add to the economy right now. Stand out, get out of your comfort zone, do something that might shock people. That's how you survive, how you thrive, how you make an income. And maybe you'll be so successful at your new hustle, you won't want, or need, to go back to your previous employer! Because you did something that showed people you are caring, giving, humble and even forgiving in this environment. In doing something to help others, you did something to help yourself and your family! That's where I'm at right now. Every single day, I spend time helping other through my fitness coaching and now through The Anastasia Project. I am always thinking, "How can I be of service to the people who depend on me?" How can I help YOU through this crisis?
Listen, we're gonna get through this. But remember, you can not control the rough sea. Instead, stay calm, look at the situation to see where things might be getting better or worse, and where is the safest place to stay put or move towards. Do not fear the unknown. Don't create that anxiety by being afraid of what MIGHT happen. If you think everything through, if you have a plan and put it into action, then you'll be OK.
Stasia xoxo
