Pausing for 2020

I like this term to describe the ominous quarantine of 2020. This time was such a dramatic pause to our daily lives and the unquestionable way we were living. It was the first time we all stopped together. It was a time where some of us wanted to figure out what was truly important.

I recall thinking "What does it mean for me to stop everything I was doing before? These things were important to who I am as a person".

But do you ever ask someone: "how are you" followed-up with their response: "so busy!" Is that a good thing? As a human being, when someone else tells me they are "so busy", I usually ask the questions "Am I doing enough?" When someone tells me they work 2 jobs, have multiple social engagements planned throughout the week and seem to also have the time to plan a family trip, I find myself questioning if I am living my life to the fullest. On the other hand, when I find myself "busy" I notice I do this feeling inadequate. The message I got from being busy was: I need to do more to be more. But on the contrary!

Being busy can be a brilliant disguise. Being busy doesn't create worth. There is no need to fill in the spaces of life so that we are worthy to live it.

So when you stopped being so busy that second week of March 2020, did you ask yourself any questions about your "busy life"? Did it reveal anything?

Did you still want to work the same job even though- you hate it, or it's a toxic workplace, 0r it doesn't give you purpose?

Did you still want to be around the same friends or be in your relationship if they- don't support your dreams, you can't be authentic with them or they don't align with your life anymore?

Do you still take care of yourself the same way- prioritizing how you look versus how you feel?

Did your health become a priority?

There's talk about life becoming "normal" again which is something we feel we need to hold onto. What's worrying is if we stopped and asked these questions BUT WENT BACK TO LIFE (making distance the only new daily life change) and ignored the signs of being unhappy. This is the time to change our jobs/careers to a direction of purpose, change relationships to supportive ones, and possibly flash a BIG light on the ways we live and how we care for ourselves.

I brought this topic up because I noticed that I didn't make the changes that I wanted when March's quarantine happened! I was so devastated losing what I had gained at the beginning of the year so I held onto the losses and made them an excuse for why I couldn't change. I felt resentful and angry losing my freedom outside my home, caring for a newborn whose health was declining, having to step back from my business and turning away clients who needed support to care for children who I couldn't take anywhere.

All the things I was doing before were important to me but were they what I wanted or was I just used to it???

PAUSING is actually A GIFT! Why not focus on "you" in order to make a better life for yourself, your community, the world and what you contribute to it. The most difficult part is stopping in your tracks, realize something needs to change and- seizing the moment to change deep-seeded patterns and reaching out to get help.

A place to start can be writing down a list of your values. How can you live out the next 24 hours including the things that mean most to you? "I want to get 7 hours of sleep tonight" or "I want to go for a walk today by water". It may not be the time to take-on huge endeavors but rather on self-care and build on that.

I don't want to be a "busy person" anymore. Something I'm going to learn to do is work on my own sabotaging behaviors. Here's what my list looks like: "I want more life balance with work and my kiddos so today I will set a time to stop working and leave my phone in another room while they are with me". "I want to enjoy the new nutrition topics I'm learning about so this week I will choose 3 new topics I can explore." "I want to get more help with my emotional health and unpack my personal insecurities with a professional. So today I would plan to reach out to someone."

What do YOU want to work on?

What's been holding you back from being the person you want to be???

I made this chart for you if you find your health is what you need to focus on. If you're searching for nutrition help, start here and seize this moment to get the support you desire.

Nutrition Goal Setting Chart.pdf

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