Self-isolation is hard...

I'm a homebody. I always have been. I prefer to stay home over going out. So I thought self-isolation / quarantine would be easy. Simple. Normal. 

But as the weeks have gone by, I've found myself spiraling into this dark place. This unknown place. This blah place. This I don't want to do anything place. I mean, I keep up with things around the house, but outside of that, I don't have a whole lot of motivation to do much of anything else. 

I thought something was wrong with me. That maybe I was missing something in all this lockdown nonsense. Shouldn't I be doing more? Shouldn't I be thriving in my business? Shouldn't I be getting more done around the house? 

And then I came across this blog post...and it 100% hit home for me. Seriously. Read it. I'll summarize it as best I can, but take the time to read it. It is on point. 

Right up front, it grabbed my attention. Self-isolation is utterly exhausting. 

I couldn't understand why I was tired All. The. Time. I want to take naps. I want to lay on the couch. I have to force myself to get outside and workout. I mean, I don't want to do anything. And I didn't get it, because that's not normal for me. Yes, I like being home, but I also like to accomplish things and go places and get out of the house. And I also like to workout. 

All I can say is that it was nice to read someone else's take on it and realize that I wasn't alone. Not only are we being bombarded with all this negativity about the corona virus and what's happening around the world, but our economy is taking a huge hit. People are out of work and there is no end in sight. And that alone can be incredibly stressful and straining. 

Then you add all your own worries and stressors on top of it. How we are going to pay our bills with work being the way it is. How I'm going to pull my weight in my family when I'm not coaching as much as I was because the gyms are closed...I'm still coaching virtually, but it's not the same. How the world is going to recover when this is all said and done. How families are going to recover. How our loved ones and family and friends are doing through all this.

I have my own personal stressors too on top of everything else. My health and keeping myself healthy during all this. And when I don't have the motivation to do much of anything, how am I going to do that? And I'm also super hard on myself. If I'm not doing something to better myself or move my business forward, I feel like I'm failing...like I'm failing myself, my husband, my family. 

What the blog post reminded me is that I need to be kind to myself. This is unprecedented. Something we've never had to do before, at least in my life time. There's an underlying anxiety that comes along with this...how do I keep myself and my family safe? What if we get sick? What if we inadvertently get someone else sick? 

It's okay to be exhausted. It's okay to not be as productive as you think you should be. It's okay to rest more. Make sure you eat well. Move your body, however that looks for you. Focus on the things you can control and try not to overthink anything.

And much like my previous posts, have faith. Don't let fear run your life. Pray. Make time for God in your life. Whether that's a separate meditation time, a prayer time, whatever that looks like for you. 

Most important, however, be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace. 

I hope y'all have a beautiful week. And if you need someone to talk to, please reach out. We're all in the same boat right now. And I'm here if you need a friend and someone to listen. 

With love and wellness, 
​Whitney