How I Got Through the Pandemic
“Everyone is gone.”
I was in Austin, Texas standing in the middle of West campus, a day after classes were canceled. The virus who-shall-not-be-named had touched down on my campus and I was shell-shocked on a virtually empty student walk-way, and it was my senior year. My blood ran cold, this was not how I had imagined things would end. The day before had been so normal, I went to some of my favorite places on campus, sent off some emails, made progress on some class assignments. I never imagined that things could have happened like this.
But they did.
It can be easy to become lost in the stories of Hollywood resilience. A piece of “hustle culture” that promotes the idea that during these unprecedented times we aren’t really grinding unless we maintain our pre-COVID-19 productivity, beat all odds, learn how to code, and train to become a triathlete by the time we emerge from quarantine.
Here are 3 tips from lessons I learned about resilience during the pandemic. I truly believe life is not about how hard you get hit but rather how you bounce back after picking yourself back up.
Reframe your expectations and take the small wins
At the beginning of the pandemic, I remember feeling demoralized with the amount of work that I was doing. Previously I was the productivity queen. But then, with nothing to do, I was paralyzed and barely able to get anything done. My life improved when I stopped trying to force myself to be productive and truly paid attention to my mental health. I began to see improvements. During traumatic global events, it’s hardly fair to expect yourself to be ready to go. After all, we are not an Avenger.
At the beginning of the crisis, it was important for me to process what I was going through and adjust to my new reality. Resilience is an outcome that comes from a process of learning and acceptance rather than an action. Acceptance and being kind to yourself is the first most essential part of the beginning of your bounce back.
For me, this looked like taking the small wins. At the time, I was learning to walk again after having reconstructive knee surgery and so I was truly physically and metaphorically rebuilding myself. My small wins were not grand. They were things such as walking around the block once and getting some sun every day. The goals that I set were as simple as getting out of bed before 12 P.M. These small wins I began to amass made me feel more confident and I began achieving bigger goals. It is up to you to define your point of view of what success is!
Reach out and remember you are not alone.
Beating the persistent feeling of loneliness that threatened to consume everyday operations was something I had to work on daily at the beginning of the pandemic. Many of us have different living situations. Some of us are living with multiple generations in the same household and some of us living alone. Whatever your situation, take a pulse on how it is that you are feeling and what you need. Scheduling regular interactions with others I cared about helped me fight that fact I was living alone during the lockdown.
Having small things to look forward to throughout the week also gave me small reasons to stay positive. On the flipside, after graduation, I moved back home to a crowded house with 7 other amazing humans. While I was grateful to be surrounded by love I also felt overwhelmed and smothered and lacking personal space. I found quiet moments to journal, take a walk, and move my body helped me retain my sanity and recharge my energy to push on.
It is essential to find key activities that will help you recharge and also make sure that you are consistently connecting with others around you where possible.
Throw out your idea of what normalcy is and express gratitude daily.
I remember moments of feeling frustrated that the normalcy I remembered was out of sight and out of reach. Reminding myself to let go and find joy and gratitude in what I did have helped me truly reframe my state of mind. Radical gratitude does not have to be a grand gesture for which you proclaim gratitude for the entire world and meditate for world peace. For me, radical gratitude expressed itself as being grateful for my health, celebrating being able to walk a little further, and being grateful for the basic necessities I had.
You can and will persevere these are hard times but it is essential to keep your head up. Resilience is a journey that allows you to work through the challenges set in front of you and come out on the other side with more strength and perspective.
The keys are to take the small wins, recharge your energy, and express gratitude and that will allow you to bounce back with a vengeance.
Written by Ariel Lee
