These are Extraordinary Times | Keep Hope Alive

These are extraordinary times! 

Times that have turned our lives and plans upside down and that makes us fear. Fear for us, for our loved ones, for the economy and our way of living. Fear that the changes that will come out of this will be unwanted, menacing and difficult to cope with. And yet, this time to stop can be an opportunity to balance our priorities and ascertain our true values. It can be a moment to look deep inside, work and strengthen our core. Extraordinary times are, often, the fire that forges our growth. That's that inner journey that we can (and must) take now! 

This is, perhaps, the most challenging moment humanity has faced since the last world war and never before we have lived such a predicament as a global community as we do with the coronavirus crisis. Stranded at home or trying to get there, working in the front line (like health care,  and so many others in critical positions to whom we are deeply grateful) or doing our part from home, all of us are facing a new and scary situation. In the face of peril and of possible loss, fear, anxiety, and feelings of distress are common and normal responses. 

To deal adaptively with this challenge:

Keep informed and look for answers in trustable sources, but avoid being constantly feeding on the news;

Connect with friends and family using the internet or phone;

Keep a structured activity: wake up at a regular time, shower, dress and feel comfortable and beautiful, clean the house and cook meals, read, make exercise, listen to music, dance, interact with others (even if remotely), write,  exercise your creative skills (drawing, painting, photography,...), learn a new skill;

Relax: breath, meditate, take a nap, do nothing!

During the following weeks, I'll try to bring you posts that you can relate to, feeding you wanderlust but also accounting for the constraints that the quarantine situation is imposing in most of us.

Till the next post...

Keep safe and keep hope alive!