Dearest,

All week I’ve been collaborating with clients, tying a bow around last Saturday’s virtual retreat, and thinking about you. Eager to find the space to pen you a note, here I am.

I can’t believe today completes week eight of quarantine and, yet, here we are at the homestretch of it.

One thing I’m noticing is that resiliency is off the charts for people. Wow are we malleable and adaptive!

Okay, I didn’t say we like this change, but I’m impressed by our ability to adjust to it. Zoom meetings, FaceTime calls, Instacart, virtual ballet classes, face masks, teletherapy, online learning, the list goes on and on.

While this experience has been far from perfect, I’m encouraged by how it’s been handled on an individual level. Seriously, you’re amazing!

Here’s an assortment of coping tools that seem to be helping:

Establishing a routine. Making time for daily exercise. Taking regular stretch breaks. Being engaged, not obsessed. Saying “no” to Zoom overload. Staying connected to others. Eating healthy (with guilt-free indulgences). Focusing on what we can control. Planning the week’s MITs (most important tasks). Loving on plant, fur, and human babies. Being gentle with oneself. Not overindulging (e.g., TV, social media, substances, Thin Mints—ahem). Documenting thoughts and feelings in a journal. Paying attention to the body.

While I don’t think we’ll ever really go back to “normal” after this, I do believe we can use this lifestyle shift to notice what has/hasn’t been working in our day-to-day life.

With life different for the foreseeable future, I’m reflecting on which of these changes I’d like to keep.

Open weekends. Online classes. Evening family time. Increased TDJ offerings. Observing the trees fill with leaves. Noticing the moon. A review of commitments.

What about you?

Wishing you a weekend of reflection, moon views, and the scent of lavender. Bisous. x