I’ve seen a lot of posts advocating the importance of being positive as we navigate life in the time of Corona, but something I’ve been wondering is: why are we so quick to try and squash difficult feelings and thoughts? They are a part of the human experience and are a healthy, valid response to what’s going on.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had feelings of sadness, anxiety, worry, stress, confusion and - caps locks for emphasis - THAT’S OK. I’ve also had moments of joy, gratitude and happiness, but overall, I’ve felt emotionally heavy and energetically drained.
Here’s the thing: applying mindfulness to our emotional states is not about positivity or forcing positive thoughts - in fact, that’s not mindful at all. Mindfulness is not positivity. Let me say that again: mindfulness is not positivity.
Being mindful is about being aware of what’s going on for you right now - emotionally, mentally and physically - and being ok with where you’re at in the present moment.
It’s healthy to sit with difficult emotions and thoughts; to feel them, explore them and understand them without allowing them to defeat us.
It’s a strange, uncertain time for all of us and we are all impacted in different ways.
Overnight, homes became offices, lounge rooms became boardrooms, cities became ghost towns and customer-facing businesses began closing their doors. We went from hugs and handshakes to foot taps and physical distancing to self-isolating.
Some people have already lost their jobs, businesses or income. Those that are self-employed or who run their own businesses have no choice but to innovate, pivot and adapt to keep their businesses afloat, their livelihoods safe and staff employed.
For some (and I’d argue, the privileged), it’s a welcome opportunity to work from home and invest in upskilling, reading and creating. That’s great, but that is not everyone’s reality - please remember that and show empathy. For some, working from home isn’t an option; some people are struggling to hang onto jobs, or have already lost them and are focused on trying to survive and meet their basic needs.
We are all navigating life with new and unfamiliar stressors that have a real-life impact. The next few months will continue to challenge us in ways we might not be able to comprehend right now. So, perhaps the next time you catch yourself feeling down about the current state of things, remind yourself of this:
You are human.
It’s ok to feel difficult emotions.
It’s ok to have difficult thoughts.
You are not being negative. You are processing and adapting to a new way of living.
Using mindfulness to deal with the tough stuff will help you develop more resilience and be more self-aware - an essential part of emotional intelligence.
I hope no matter where you’re at right now, you understand that how you’re feeling will change. Your situation will change. Things will change. We will all get through this together. I hope we will get through this with a greater understanding of how interconnected we all are.
If there’s any way you think I can help you from afar, please drop me a note. Take care.
Want more resources? You might enjoy my Mindfulness Toolkit and my Wellbeing Toolkit.
