3 ways we found our bearings in quarantine

Finding one’s bearings: to find one’s position or balance in an unknown situation.  Aka exactly what the world has been trying to accomplish the past three months.  

Finding our bearings in any situation is hard, whether it be a new job, relationship, or location.  It’s an awkward uncomfortable time with new things that we don’t understand. But getting our bearings is part of adapting, growing into who we want to become, expanding who we are, and even helping us survive.

Here are 3 things that helped me find my bearings in quarantine:

  1.  First things first, stay a realist (thank you Iggy).  Let your expectations of yourself and your day be modified to your daily circumstance.  The world went sideways, the world is still sideways.  Productivity looks different, social interactions are strange and distant.    It’s okay if life looks different-it is different.  If we need more time to rest because change is still emotionally overwhelming. That’s okay, stay real to your emotions.

  1. Do something every day that is familiar and brings you joy.  For me, that was talking to people consistently.   Even if just for a few minutes, keeping consistent people in our lives that encourage us IS A GAME CHANGER.   We are who we spend time with, even in quarantine.

  1. RELEASE THE ENDORPHINS.  I admit I have had moments in quarantine that have been depressing & discouraging.  It’s hard - life dramatically changed, and it makes me feel like I can’t plan my next success effectively.  My arch-nemesis to my discouragement...working out.  I have officially run 140 mi of hilly San Francisco during quarantine.  Honestly, sometimes it’s windy & I’m tired.  But it gets me out of the house and into a new environment.  It releases chemicals in my brain that fight off any small open door to depression. And it tones my calves. 🏃🏼‍♀

So be encouraged, you’ll find your steady sea legs again.  Normal will become normal again and new strides will be made.  In the meantime, let’s keep our chin up, stay realistic, indulge in familiar joy, and release those endorphins. 💪🏻💪🏽💪🏿

Rachel Bieber