We Never Thought We’d Want to Go to Work So Badly!
As the Coronavirus has spread rapidly worldwide, I think it’s safe to say that one of the largest impacts of this pandemic is the hysteria, the fear of the end of the world, and the complete boredom of being quarantined in our houses to inhibit spreading of this potentially fatal virus.
We have ALL wished we could work at home in our jammies for a living, but we are quickly realizing that our routine drives balance, gives us purpose, feels comfortable, and contributes deeply to our identity. As adults, we often fall into repetitive patterns and lose the youthfulness of exploration, discovery, rediscovery, adaptation, and optimism.
Unfortunately, I can’t cure the coronavirus or stop the terrible affects it has had on part of our population. But I can give you some ideas of what to do to find peace amongst the hysteria, focus on the present instead of “impending doom” and stay mentally and physically occupied until we can return to life as normal.
The mass chaos occurring on the news, in the grocery stores, and, the most obvious, on Facebook, is not healthy to constantly be feeding into our headspaces. It is important to be informed, but we all know if we pick our phone and check social media right now 80% of it is coronavirus related (and of course the other 20% is cute baby pictures and cat videos). It is not healthy to be sitting in your home consuming constant updates on something you have no control over. This is actually a great time to step away from social media and focus on you and your self-care. You’ve been provided this unique opportunity to reinvent what “day-to-day” life looks like, so grab a shovel and dig in. Reinvent the wheel!
Combatting hysteria could be giving yourself a time limit on the amount of time a day you spend on social media and/or the news. It could include creating a new daily routine and include activities that bring you joy. Activities that are good for your soul and body. Get your groove back by YouTubing some yoga tutorials, reading a really good book, finding a great show to binge on Netflix, look up DIY facial recipes and have a spa day, or better yet, create a pleasure box. Get an old shoe box, decorate it in a way that makes you feel warm and safe. Then, fill it with all things that bring you pleasure such as sex toys, arousal oils, lotions, barrier methods, strap-ons, whatever you like! Then put it in a special place so you know where to go when you need some toe-curling pleasure.
Speaking of pleasure, this is also a wonderful time to check back into your body. As we grow and our bodies change, our desires change. Take out your pleasure box and try some new things. Rediscover what your pleasure looks like these days. You may discover you’re infatuated with a sensation you’ve never tried before (that will lift your mood for sure!)
Lastly, one of the hardest parts of this epidemic is social distancing. Early diagnosis has not yet been figured out so we could be spreading the disease before we even know we have it. This is why most of us are working and schooling from home. But social interaction is an important part of our mood, our energy, our productivity, and more. Being stuck in your home may be extremely upsetting because we don’t get the burst of oxytocin from when a friend hugs us or the flood of relief when a friend understands how we feel.
But, again, I feel this is a fantastic opportunity for rediscovery. We have gotten so comfortable in our ways of connecting with one another that we have fallen into a routine. Now we have a chance to challenge that routine and find new and fun ways to virtually connect with the ones which we love. Facetime dates, Netflix’s new “Party” function where you can watch Netflix with a friend via the TV or computer, etc. You can send scandalous pictures to your partner to keep the sexual energy alive and/or play virtual games on your phone that allow you to invite your friends to play along. There hundreds of ways to connect digitally and now is the time to explore them all.
Let’s face it, coronavirus sucks. But right now, we can’t fix it. What we CAN fix is how we choose to feel about our current circumstances, what we choose to do with our extra time, and how we plan to beat the system and still connect with the fam despite social distancing. What will you be achieving during this time?
By Autumn Morris
Certified Sex Educator
CEO and Founder of Speaking of Sex
If you like what you’ve read here, check out other blogs and podcasts from Autumn!
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