Calm within Calamity

Calamity - an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster. 

Hey Teachers - leave your resources behind and teach using only technology. Do this from the comfort of your home. All you need is your computer. And guess what?  Your family will be by your side. Figuratively AND literally!

Hey Parents - your wish to work from home has come true! You not only get to do your own work, but your children can do their work beside you and you can help them along the way. No more wondering about what they’ve been up to in school. You get be their head teaching coach!

Oh Heyyyy Kids - remember the “I don’t want to go to school…” feeling that you’ve had? Your wish has come true, too! AND you don’t have to do six hours of school work. Only 2-3 hours, k? All from your computer though.  And we won’t harass you with how much you are on your phone - you can use technology to communicate with your friends anytime! Just no connecting in person though, ok? Lounge around all you want. Ask for snacks every hour. Oh and you can go outside whenever you want, but just stay in our yard. Wave to your friends and neighbors. No touching. 

And most importantly, wash your hands for 20 seconds. And definitely don’t touch your face. Wipe down everything you use regularly or have used in the past month. And keep at least 6 feet from one another if you do have to go out. And god forbid you have a loved one who is sick or dying, but if you do, you will have to say your goodbyes from a distance. 

This just scrapes the surface of the changes we are feeling around the world. 

Our rug of life as we know it has come out from under us. We now have slippery, but strong, wood floors beneath our feet. It looks different. It feels different. It’s certainly not as comfortable as the rug was, but it does offer a solid foundation to hold us up. How we move about on this floor beneath us will be different. But we can move about with careful confidence. We need to be more conscious, more intentional with our movements, as slipping can be easy. 

This analogy offers a reminder of how we can view the changes. Our world is shifting before our eyes. It will never be the same. It was unexpected for every single person. We are in this together. We have the choice to resist the change or to move with the change...with intentional care and precision. 
If your choice is the latter, here are some thoughts to consider this week.

Every day, repeat the following three steps as needed. But no less than once a day.
 
Clear - Breathe - Savor
Clear the Plate: acknowledge any worry or anxiety that you are feeling. Write it down. Don’t judge it, just write. When you are done, read back over the list and label it. Yes that’s in your control or no it’s not in your control. Spend no more than five minutes on this. Then leave those stresses behind and continue on with your day, hopefully feeling a bit lighter. 

Breathe for an 8 Count: throughout the day, we have many things that may trigger an immediate reaction. Before responding to the stimulus (like spilled juice on the floor or an insensitive email from a co-worker), take a conscious deep breath. Then respond. Reflect on how your response is now compared to what it could have been without the breath. 

Savor the Experience: We have many experiences that are worth savoring throughout each day. However, we may not always be fully present to savor the experience. The more that we intentionally focus on savoring the positive experiences in life, the more our brain becomes attuned to it and the more joyful our life can actually become. 
Many of us have the gift of time with each other right now while social distancing. While keeping ourselves and our loved ones healthy, we can choose to embrace the time together. And be deeply thankful that we are in good health. Many people around the world don’t have the same choices as we do.