At the outset of the pandemic lockdown, I was pretty buoyant. I definitely didn’t suspect or hope for the fallout that has happened. So much death and suffering. I was optimistic, as usual, that things would work out. That’s a conscious decision I always make.
My position was that nothing changed…
- It always feels like the universe is trying to kill me
- I never know where my money is coming from
- I like canceling appointments
- I get to spend more time with my new baby
How terrible this must be for all the people who thought they had their lives together.
As the lockdown continues, I’ve gotten to have so many heartfelt conversations with so many people in different fields – not just entertainment. Everyone’s having their moments. So am I. #rutlife
Being alone matters
Our social isolation has effects on us that we don’t understand or immediately notice. Most of us will probably be recovering from this and relying on our coping tools long after society opens up.
Lack of distraction matters
We don’t have all the social activities and limitless errands pushing us around now. For many of us, this constant motion was the only break we got from intense thought and cyclical emotional churning.
Fulfillment matters
I think when people talk about “being happy,” they really mean “being useful.” For creatives, that means making something that not many people (or nobody else) could make. Many of us have felt less rare due to the pandemic.
Here are some of my tricks for dealing with this stuff
- isolation: 5 second meditations throughout the day to remind myself of gratitude, take a breath and remember that the world of people I love still exists. Make calls and texts to random people even though I’m afraid they’ll be bummers.
- dis-distraction: Setup appointments to meet with people. tell people weird jokes. make things that are unnecessary (but don’t take up a lot of time) be spontaneous. Look up the answers to weird questions that pop to mind.
- uselessness: This is the big one. Break down the things that are special about me. List out my skills/ resources. Figure out ways to use as many of my resources in a single process or project as possible. I’m coaching entertainers now and it makes me feel extremely useful. I don’t feel as world-class as I did on stage, but it seems I’m growing a skill that can make an impact and I’m able to connect so many dots from my life to help people.