COVID-19 • Root To Branches

| 10 Steps to Keep Yourself Motivated |

For many of us, the stay-at-home orders are looking less and less like a blessing every day. Even introverts are feeling put upon and are not appreciating the feeling of being obligated to be introverted. What started out as a great opportunity to reconnect with our families and reorganize our homes has turned a corner, and now, the days are running together, sleep patterns are being disrupted, and motivation has gone on a leave of absence. This time of refreshment and relaxation has grossly over-stayed its welcome. Unfortunately, there is no getting away from it for now, so what do we do to reclaim our motivation and get our biological clocks reset?

I firmly believe in keeping things simple, and I’m here to share the little things that can have a big positive impact on your day.

Start Your Day with Completion

When you get up in the morning, finish one small task. It doesn’t have to be anything major or life-changing. Whether it’s brushing your teeth, showering, reading your devotional, or taking the dog out, finish something. Simply don’t allow yourself to slip into your day too slowly.

Don’t Stop

Use the momentum from your first completed task to guide yourself for the rest of the day. While the days are looking a whole lot alike, there’s no reason they have to. Do the next thing.

Control the Scroll

Many of us are spending more time on social media than normal, so why not make it work for you. Be more intentional about what you consume while scrolling through your platforms. Look for the things that are going to fill you with hope for the future that we are sure to have once this all blows over. Filling our heads with conspiracy theories, political propaganda, and time-stealing questionnaires can rob you of both valuable time and peace of mind.

Reflect

This is an empathetic nod to those experiencing occupational and financial loss during this time. It is unfortunate that many of us have been taught to gauge our worth according to our abilities to provide for our families, because when our livelihoods are taken from us, we feel like we’re disappointing our loved ones. I’d like to encourage you to remember why you’re alive. Whatever your family dynamic, somebody loves you and wants you to know that your value revolves around so much more than money. I am so sorry that this is your ‘right now’, but remember that trouble doesn’t last always. The sun will set on this, and a brand new season is sure to come.

Like a Boss

Just because we are forced to remain indoors, there is nothing written in stone that says we have to slum it. Jogging pants are super comfy, but they also make it very easy for us to be okay with laziness. The more that happens, the less we want to be motivated. So, get up and get dressed. I’d like to challenge you to do those extra things that you would normally do for yourself when preparing for work. Do this for at least 3 days if for no other reason than to refamiliarize yourself with the good habits of self-care. Do your hair. Put that makeup on. Spritz that perfume. For this day, at least look like a boss.

Lighten Up

We don’t have to take ourselves so seriously. Yes, this is a challenging time, but there is no reason to throw in the towel on anything, and this includes having a little fun. Just to see if I could accomplish a set number of things in my day, I sometimes make a game out of it. I set timers, put on some music, and get cracking. No, life is not a game, but lemons are no longer bitter or sour once you learn how to turn them into lemonade.

Take a Snapshot

When we look through our social media walls, we see various pictures from people who just like to share their lives with everyone. My suggestion here is that you take a snapshot of at least one thing that makes you smile each day. It can be a little difficult to remember the good things when the bad things seem to be so overwhelming, but we can be intentional in our gratitude.

Write it Down

Perhaps this is a time to start keeping a journal of some kind. Just like this publication, make a list of some of the challenges you are facing and write out the possible solutions for each one. We can’t fix everything, but we can see things more clearly when we get them in front of us for acknowledgment and processing.

One Thing at a Time

As mentioned in number 8, we simply cannot fix everything, and it benefits us greatly not to try. Grieving over the things we can’t do anything about can cripple our abilities to be grateful for anything. So, take stock of the whole mess and separate what you can do from what you can’t. Then, only focus on the things that you can do something about. Even if it’s only something small, just do something!

MOVE!

Get up and move! How many pounds have we gained while taking advantage of not having to get up and move? Not to out myself, but holy buckets! Your girl is gonna need to start running! I am determined to turn back the clock a little by means of moving myself around a LOT more, even if I can only walk back and forth down my hallway for 15 minutes at a time. We don’t need this stay-at-home order to increase diabetes or high blood pressure cases. This is not a time to become unhealthy versions of ourselves. So please, let’s back away from the chips, grab a vegetable and go for a nice walk…run…dance…jump…something!

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•Out of The Ashes•

Not everything that burns is destroyed, and not all unfortunate circumstances end in tragedy. It is hard to remember this, however, in the face of so much frightening information coming at us from various media sources. We want to stay informed and make intelligent decisions for our own health and that of our families and communities, but even that is difficult to achieve when there is so much fear and panic going on around us. In fact, it’s hard to have peace of mind at all when it feels like our world is burning down around our ears. That’s the curious thing about fire, though. It’s not all bad.

Depending on who we are, the word ‘fire’ is usually a bad one because it’s usually associated with destruction. We must remember, however, that fire also purifies. With pressure and time, fire helps to produce precious jewels. From the fire of a refinery, the strongest steel and precious metals emerge for work, battle, and even decoration. From the purified ground, covered in the ashes of destruction, life struggles forth…fresh, green and beautiful. It rises up in spite of the ugliness and desolation. With fresh roots, it reaches for the sky on a brand new journey with the hope that one day, it will be exactly what it was made to be…whole and fruitful…from its roots to its branches.

The deepest lessons come out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires.
Elisabeth Elliot

We are so much like the trees that force themselves through insurmountable obstacles. We are also designed to grow right where we are planted and thrive against the odds. No matter what it looks like, I want to encourage us all to remember that, even when it all burns down, We, the People, are meant to rise.

As we find ourselves in a time of uncertainty due to the threat of illness, economic downturn, loss of livelihood, or other negative repercussions of COVID-19, let us not be afraid of the fire. For all we know, it is divinely appointed to burn away fear, stress, and anxiety so we can refocus our priorities. We get to spend more time with our families and realign our minds and hearts with one another. Even better, we have been given a new opportunity to reconnect with God, to learn to trust Him more in our day-to-day operations and get to know ourselves through His eyes. This time has turned us back to the basics of living and loving, something so many of us have been in need of.

Now that we have set new rhythms to our lives, gained mega empathy for our children’s teachers, taken on new hobbies, started writing those books, baked all the goodies and fallen in love with our spouses again, what do we do when the social ban is lifted and our lives return to ‘normal’?

When we return to our regularly scheduled programs, let us not forget these blessings in the blur of the 9 to 5, but instead, use them to make more intentional decisions in our homes and fuel better relationships in our jobs and communities. Let’s not forget the basics…breathe, pray, listen, talk, write that book, play that game, read, and crack those jokes. Hold on to that new, healthy habit and leave the old, bad one behind. Keep living, loving and laughing for real!. Let this fire destroy what poisons us while it purifies what makes us truly beautiful as priceless human beings with invaluable purpose.