I’m going to keep this as brief as possible because I know that we are all totally inundated with both information and emotions. For many of us, definitely for me, things got really real this week. After focusing so much initial energy and drastically shifting our lives according to social distancing and shelter in place guidelines, this week things have slowed down and started to settle. At first there was a novelty to it all and amidst the surge of adrenaline, we amused ourselves with memes and images of our new and novel quarantined lives. As the novelty dissolved and reality settled in, it has felt really  uncomfortable. As I wrote last week, we just went through the seasonal change of the equinox that symbolizes transition. Transitions are always challenging, but none of us chose this one and we are all in it together. We can handle the discomfort of sore muscles because we are training to run a marathon or endure being confined in a small space for hours with lack of sleep and bad food to arrive at a new destination. We are willing to go through a lot in pursuit of a goal or destination. This feels different because it is different.

While it’s relatively straightforward attending to physical needs and hygiene like washing hands, eating fresh foods, getting plenty of sleep and movement, and so on; we must also remember emotional and spiritual hygiene. At a time when there is so much intense energy swirling around our homes and our communities, it’s more important than ever to take deep breaths and stay grounded. I tend to focus on the positive and look for the silver linings, but this week that hasn’t come so easily and I’ve just had to feel everything. There is sadness due to the cancelation of weddings, graduations, vacations, and other celebrations. I’ve felt angry because I don’t want my life to be changing like this; I liked it just the way it was a couple of weeks ago. I’m concerned for all the suffering and the doctors and nurses who are completely overwhelmed. There are the collective emotions of worry and fear amidst daily uncertainty and frequently changing situations from place to place. On top of all that, I have been judging myself for lack of productivity and not feeling especially motivated.

At the recommendation of a close friend, I started listening to Brené Brown’s new podcast. She is a pillar of wisdom and she has an incredible ability to articulate heavy and challenging topics with both practicality and humor. If it hasn’t been on your radar yet, I extend that recommendation to everyone to turn off the social media and the news for a few minutes and take in her message to us all. (Listen to the Podcast here.) She reminds us that what we are experiencing now is temporary and also that it’s important to understand that everyone in the family will have different ways of processing everything and different levels of energy every day. It’s important to have the language for everyone’s needs to be heard and for everyone to get the rest they need. It is normal that we all feel out of sorts right now and it’s especially necessary to recognize that and support one another. Some of our previous household routines are no longer appropriate. Our own daily rhythms are going through a period of revision and will continue to do so as long as we all remain home together.

In order to maintain my mental and emotional wellness, I have made daily meditation and yoga practice an absolute priority. Afternoon naps are normal. I take an Epsom salt bath every night to let go of the day and calm my mind and body. I have been grateful for the early spring sunshine and for watching movies on Disney Plus which was finally released in the UK this week. I try to limit my time online and watching news and listen to music every day. This week I especially enjoyed The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Björk, and George Gershwin. While I prefer to write little notes to friends and put them in the mail, I am shifting that to email since that’s the sensible to thing to do right now. And of course, family dinners are alive and well.

Thinking of you all this week. May you and your families be well and may your light shine through the difficulties and challenges.