Surge Capacity
First off, there will be no recipe today, so if you are not interested in reading…just move along. (thanks Jonny)
Are you feeling totally drained kind of like you did with Covid first started? You aren’t alone.
I am a huge fan of Brené Brown. She has changed the way I view so many things. From her books to Netflix specials. The woman is amazing.
However, during Covid she started a Podcast, and I am a podcast JUNKIE, called “Unlocking Us”. Please do yourself a favor and check it out here.
Her most recent podcast On My Mind, I had so many ah-ha! moments that I figured I would share with all of you too.
We have been experiencing Covid now since March. A lot of us have been home since then trying to adjust to the “new normal”, which I don’t even like to say because I hate the word normal and I also feel like the “new normal” is constantly evolving right now.
In the beginning I feel like I switched on this “must protect myself” feature of my mind and body I didn’t even know I had… and now that I have been doing that for 6 months, I am tired.
In the episode Brené talks about an article located here and how we have “reached our surge capacity” ::insert mind blown emoji::.
So wait… I am not the only one feeling like my battery is blinking “low low low”, warning you are dangerously low on juice…
The emergency phase is not a limited thing like a natural disaster, it has now become chronic… so, when we have reached our wits end of being at home, working from home, endless zoom meetings, lines at stores… how do we charge back up? Especially when we can’t do the things we would pre-pandemic to center ourselves….and for those of us that are achievers? It is especially hard. Those of us used to routine, getting things done… it is becoming even harder as this pandemic continues to actually DO that. Because well, everything is shut down.
So, shouldn’t we be used to this by now? All the craziness that we hear, see and consume on a daily basis?
Nope.
Inserting a quote from the article here:
“This is an unprecedented disaster for most of us that is profound in its impact on our daily lives, but it’s different from a hurricane or tornado where you can look outside and see the damage. The destruction is, for most people, invisible and ongoing.” – Ann Masten, PhD
Read that again.
….so doctor, you’re telling me that feeling stressed… feeling up and down within days or even within the same day is… ok?
YUP!
People, we are experiencing something that hasn’t ever occurred. Give yourself a break. We haven’t even come close to the recovery period of this pandemic, we are still in the midst of it.
I have been thinking about this a lot. Giving myself more rest, breaks, allowance to feel what I feel. Which, to be honest, feels really uncomfortable and vulnerable. Sticky almost.
But, to get through this… to replenish my surge capacity so that I can continue to show up for my job, my dog, my family, my friends.. myself… I have to figure out a way to discover what fills me up more than I think I ever had to in the past.
What helps me feel more centered and full?
It takes examining things you used to do out in the world and how you might reinvent those in life now. Because lets face it. The world is different now.
What are you doing during the pandemic to keep yourself feeling grounded? Safe?
What are you doing to replenish yourself and your capacity for daily life?
Drop me a line and let me know.
September 24th Moon Forecast = First Quarter
