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You’re sick to your bone marrow of talking about another lockdown—regurgitating the same limp sentences again and again and again. You’re desperate for a refresh button. But where to find it?
Slip away to the greenest, loveliest, most open space you can find. Drink in the expanse as if it were a cucumber and mint smoothie. Sense the cool air swirling around your nostrils. Feel your pupils bristle with the beauty of the scene before you.
Take a breath. And another deep breath. Slowly. Now resolve—in this very moment—TO STOP WAITING FOR LOCKDOWN TO END. Stop imagining how life will be when it does. Leave anticipation and expectation behind you like dust in your rear-view mirror. Fall into the present—as jagged and imperfect as that might seem.
It’s time to PRIORITISE YOUR STATE. We say we’ll feel better just as soon as shops reopen, gym programs resume, and social get-togethers are permitted...Of course our hearts yearn for these things. But it’s also an excuse—a story to prevent us from uplifting our state right now. Commit to cultivating a BEAUTIFUL STATE.
USE YOUR BODY TO UPLIFT YOUR STATE. Have a pool? Jump into it immediately. Drop down and do some sit-ups or stretches. Don’t think, just act. Sprint to the end of your street. Splash some cold water into your face. Get moving. Whenever your state goes south, snap your body into action.
BE SPONTANEOUS. Let little sparks of inspiration percolate into crazy, unplanned actions. Be yourself.
Lockdown means macro-level stagnation. But you aren’t macro. You’re a person—a human being with moving parts and goals. We need movement to counteract the passivity of the current situation.
To feel happy, you must feel that the main AREAS OF YOUR LIFE ARE MOVING FORWARD. No government policy can prevent this basic sense of progress.
Lockdown can offer reasons not to continue advancing and growing in an area of life that matters. Circumstances are tough, no doubt. But we can’t take a break from values. LOCKDOWN EXCUSES are hurting us—it’s time to let them go.
Reset. Refresh. Recommit.
Timothy Deitz - Clinical Psychologist September 2021