Staying Sane in Unprecedented Times
If you haven’t already noticed, the past 365 days have not been so fine and dandy. And while we’ve all found ways to struggle through the mud of this year to some success, there are moments where we still feel stuck, moments where the dead-ends pile up. I’ve had my fair share of these moments, and today I’d love to share with you some things that I’ve found pull me through the thick of it.
Prioritizing things that bring delight
Over the winter break, like the east-cost-elitst-liberal I am, I got into listening to NPR, specifically Ira Glass’ This American Life. One fantastic episode explored people finding delight in their lives, things that made the scrum of daily existence a little bit more enjoyable. Prioritizing these things has made my days all the more tolerable, and they give me something to look forward to. Delight for me has come in numerous forms, from Errol Gardner’s rendition of “Misty” (2020 remastered version), to sitting down with a good book and a tea, to watching my sports teams that have miraculously decided to be good this year (go Sixers!, go Flyers! hang in there Red Sox..) delight is abundant and plenty. Making room in our schedules to do these things on a daily basis goes a long way, even if they’re little.
Slooowwwwinnggg Down
We live in a fast paced world. Especially living in the city, where the once-a-week trip outside is a flurry of activity and external stimuli, it can be easy to get caught up in all the busyness. It’s key to take a minute and just be in the moment with yourself. A saving grace for me recently has been the Headspace meditation app, which is provided to us for free from BU. They’ve got a ton of guided meditations and other calming media that have made a really tangible impact on my day to day moods. Go try it, it’s free!
Moderating Social Media Use
Here’s my bold take. Social media kind of isn’t good for us. Can you tell I watched The Social Dilemma? As much as our socials connect us to friends and family and drive social change and show us funny videos, there’s a lot of negatives that go very much under the radar. I can’t quite go into the psychological details, but I’ve found that spending more time off my phone and on other delight-filled things has been nothing but beneficial. (Don’t worry COM Ambassador team, I’ll be back on it for my Insta takeover :))
So there’s my advice! This is far from an exhaustive list, and even farther from a scientifically proven method, but I figured I would share some things that worked for me, and just maybe they’ll do some good for you. That’s all from me, so stay safe, mask up, and be well!
