Wait.
Is this the week we feel guilty for not being productive, learning new skills and growing?
Or is this the week that we feel bad for not practicing self-compassion, self-care and being competitive and comparing ourselves with others and not giving ourselves permission to snack, play video games and watch Netflix?
It’s all kind of blending together.
It would seem like I have a lot more time to work on editing my book, developing an online course, start a group, start a mastermind, read all the books on my nightstand, redo my website, learn how to cook Korean food, start bullet journalling and Morning Pages, read my Bible, train, listen to podcasts, hang out with my kids, reach out to long lost friends.
But I don’t
The past month has been such a rollercoaster. One of my go-to coping strategies is humor. I wrote the two posts above recently on the ambivalence I feel. I can’t remember feeling so bored and busy at the same time. You can see this tension play out on social media with posts challenging us to make use of the time and others reminding us that social isolation isn’t a competition to be productive. (I’ve been wanting to write this post for the past two weeks.)
Find your flow.
One thing I’ve been telling clients and myself this month is we’re all in different places and being impacted in different ways.
Take the time to pause and be self-aware and mindful of what you need. If you’re bored, under-challenged, then yes step things up and press into new areas of business, creativity, growth, ministry, and learning.
If you’re overwhelmed, struggling emotionally, disconnected and in survival mode, simplify, slow down, prioritize, connect and get support.
Practice self-care and self-compassion. And just take the next best step. Give yourself permission to do what you need to do to be at your best for yourself and others. Sometimes that means doing less not more. No shame, no comparison needed.
There’s been a bunch of resources that I’ve found helpful for myself and my clients.
I hope you’ll find them helpful, for yourself or others.
Please let me know if there are others that you’ve found.
Resources for employment, career and personal growth.
You may be using this time to re-think job, career and the future. Here’s resources that I’ve been recommending to clients for a few years.
The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do book and The Art of Work Podcast by Jeff Goins
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One by Jenny Blake
Do Over: Make Today the First Day of Your New Career by Jon Acuff
48 Days to the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal by Dan Miller
Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Resources for Working From Home and Homeschooling
Jenny Blake has been doing a daily podcast that on a number of really practical topics on thriving during Covid 19, like Tips for Working from Home and Strategies for dealing with Screen Fatigue.
This free book The Story Of The Oyster And The Butterfly: The Corona Virus And Me by play therapist Ana Gomez is tremendous for talking to your kids about Covid 19, especially if they are struggling with anxiety. It’s helpful for anxious adults too!
Resources for leadership and spiritual and emotional health
Bridgetown Church here in Portland did a sermon series a few months ago on Unhurrying with a Rule of Life that today seems prophetic.
It had several sermons that are helpful on The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Silence and Solitude, Margin. When things go back to normal and we get off Zoom and social media, the sermon on Digitial Aestheticism will be very helpful. As will Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism.
Their podcast on A Kairos Moment was very inspiring and helpful as well as their episode on CS Lewis on How to Live Under the Threat of the Atomic Bomb.
This short video summarizes their recommended daily Rule of Life.
The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast is one of my favorites and his episode on Leading Through A Crisis is also very helpful.
If you’d like to learn more about theology and the Bible here are two websites that are offering free courses:
Some resources for physical health:
Creative Live is offering a few free courses on physical health and mental health.
My gym Brazilian Top Team Happy Valley is providing High Impact Interval Training workouts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Lessons for adults and lessons for big kids and for little Ninjas and Storytime with Coach Gus for kids.
Half of the week I am a health coach at Kaiser Permanente in the Health and Wellness Services department. On our site you can find short workbooks on a number of health topics like weight management and stress management as well as a Personal Action Plan worksheet that can help you write out any healthy habit goals you may have during Covid 19.
Mallory Grimste has a great YouTube Channel with tons of videos for teens on anxiety and emotional health. Her playlist on Managing Your Anxiety When You’re Stuck At Home and Bored is a good place to start.
Habit Change
Today I reached day 140 of daily morning exercise. Here are a few resources that have helped me and my patients.
If you are working on making some changes with your habits this is a great video from the Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg on How to Break Habits.
This short video by BJ Fogg teaches a simple but powerful principle for behavior change and building “success momentum”.
Make Your Day Harder, this site helps with motivation and the excuses that can get in the way of being as active as we want.
Michelle May’s TED Talk Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat and her website on mindful eating are also very helpful.
Some fun links:
I mentioned above humor is one of the ways I’m coping lately. I also enjoy music from singers who are doing concerts from their homes, including parody songs. Here’s a few videos that have been fun starting with two songs from local friends.
Covid 19’s Not For You And Me by Gayla Shomler
All By Myself Quarantined by the Prodans
One Day More by Marsh Family (the banter with the kids is so authentic 🙂 )
These two christian songs have been very inspiring to me:
Take Me Out Of The Dark by Gary Valenciano
The Pittsburg Blessing by the Pittsburg Virtual Choir
Katharine McPhee and David Foster (didn’t know they were married until seeing their videos)
Maria Bamford’s Special Special Special show is quirky and super awkward. It came out in 2014 but it feels like the answer to “What if you’re a standup comic but can’t do a show because of Covid 19?” because she filmed it in her living room, with her parents as the audience. You can see it on Netflix. Here’s the trailer.
Ronnie Chieng’s bit on “Amazon Prime Is Too Slow” is hilarious and pretty relevant right now.
“In America never leave your house. Land of the Free and land of never leave your house.”
How are you coping lately?
What shows or art are you enjoying?
What’s inspiring you?
