Staying Grounded in an Ever-Changing World
By Lizzie Raben, MSW – July 17, 2022 –
The last few years have brought new sources of uncertainty and unforeseen challenges to everyone’s lives. As we’ve moved forward from a global pandemic, we’ve all adjusted to embrace new ways of living to accommodate the needs of our society.
It takes time to adapt to change; however, there are simple habits each of us can employ to make it easier to stay grounded and reconnect with the people and activities that enrich our day-to-day lives.
1. Staying connected is crucial to preserving important relationships. It is more important than ever to purposefully find ways to both reconnect and stay connected with one another. Though many of us may associate virtual meeting spaces with the isolation we experienced early in the pandemic, don’t discount the benefits of maintaining virtual connections with our friends and families when we cannot gather in person.
2. Re-establish routines that work for you. Throughout the pandemic, many of us sacrificed parts of our routines that enriched our mental and physical health. If daily trips to the gym went by the wayside during the pandemic, consider re-establishing this healthy aspect of your routine if you feel comfortable doing so. Alternatively, if you adopted new routines throughout the pandemic such as going on daily walks or reading a chapter of a book each night, make an effort to keep those healthy habits in your routine.
3. Commit to finding a healthy balance. Although the pandemic brought additional stressors, it also allowed people the ability to slow down and reflect upon the good and bad aspects of their lifestyle. Now that the world has largely opened back up, don’t feel obligated to accept every social invitation you receive if you’d rather take some time for self-care.
4. Forgive yourself and others. Within the new times we face, we’ve all had to accommodate new societal expectations. It is important for us to continue granting others some grace, as everyone adapts to change at their own pace. While we cannot control the ever-changing world around us, we can control our reactions. By letting things go and forgiving, we can treat ourselves and others with the compassion each of us deserve.
