It’s important to remember that after all of this isolation and lockdown, we must not forget to still be functional. A big fear is whether we are going to be able to function as normal again.
Will we remember how to drive?
Will we still have our job?
Our children fear whether they will be repeating the grade.
Is this going to be like a “gap year” for most of us?
Some will have taken this lockdown as an opportunity to ultra-relax or laze around. Others may have even taken this up as an opportunity to learn a new skill. The fortunate ones have the privilege to work and earn an income, albeit it having to accommodate many distractions. Some see it as a time to catch up on missed opportunities, be it spring cleaning, catching up on admin, revision or studying (especially if you are unable to work from home). Some have even seen this as an opportunity to rekindle their ‘lost hobby’.
At first, it was very difficult, missing the social interactions and contact (some physical), like greeting a person with a handshake or a hug. We have now created a new norm on how to function at home. We had to train our brains to get used to this isolation and lockdown. When we were told to not make physical contact, not even a handshake, but instead “elbowing” each other, it was difficult to do.
Now it feels like we’re living in a ghost town, where you’re the only one on the planet. Even our pets are feeling a little strange having us home 24-7.
This isolation, lockdown and social distancing disrupts the core of humanity. There is a loss of contact or connectedness that we are used to. And the lack of structure, our immobility, the lack of predictability, mass mistrust, creates trauma.
We are having to learn to make adjustments to our new way of life. We have to change our mindset to not walk out the front door but to go to work in our home office instead. We have to understand and become intune with online meetings, at the same time having to juggle work and kids schoolwork and still incorporate some free play. We have to learn to work or relax in confined spaces, some with many people in their household, others all alone. The elderly parents have to learn to communicate online, as the daily visits to grandma had to be stopped. We have to learn (if it wasn’t done before) to have family dinners and connect again. Some communities have learnt that there are ways to reach out to others through singing, clapping or blowing horns (out in their gardens) or online church gatherings via the internet.
It’s going to feel even more strange, when we have to go back to reality. So, I’m going to make a few suggestions on How Not To Lose Your Mojo:
- Stick to a routine
- Have a structure to your day, (even if relaxing, plan your relaxed day)
- Make a task list for activities you want to fulfil during the day
- Make contact with your friends and loved ones, online
- Do some form of physical exercise – it doesn’t have to be 6-pack-generating torture, just make sure there is some movement during the day
- As well as your body, be active in your mind and soul – prayer, meditation or contemplation time is a good habit to form
The big reason for doing these things is that it helps us move away from this trauma of unpredictability, uncertainty, boredom, helplessness and disconnection.
It is the structure during the day that provides the brain and our body with predictability, safety and minimises that sense of helplessness and we regain the trust in our abilities and become mobile again and stay functional!
