Quarantine - an opportunity to slow down, self reflect and personally grow

I’ve seen a lot of videos being circled around about what is happening to people who are in quarantine. Most of them are before and after pictures of people letting themselves go both physically and mentally. At a first glance they’re funny. I’ve actually laughed out loud at a few of them, which has been a great tonic during this past week. There’s something so freeing about a laugh that starts in the pit of your stomach and fills an entire room. However, the jokes are clearly something that are on people’s minds. What are we supposed to do when we are in quarantine? How do we fill our hours? Have we become so used to distractions that the thought of being cooped up at home prompts fears that we might lose total control of our bodies and minds as we are called to slow down?

To be honest, it’s the first thing I thought of myself too, as we settled in for two weeks quarantine here in Cyprus, where my husband, children and I are based for the time being. I could just see two long weeks ahead of Netflix, pizzas, chocolate and cranky kids. The very thought of that overwhelmed me so much that I found myself reaching for even more food in my thoughts. How else was I to deal with this anxiety starting to subtly make its way into my head other than eat? In that moment, old unhelpful thinking patterns crept in. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was just reacting. And it didn’t feel good. But I was feeling almost powerless to stop it.

And then I remembered all the personal development I've been doing for the past year. Am I that afraid of what’s going on that I have to numb it out with food and other distractions? Am I even really afraid or am I just allowing myself to be swept away by mass panic? I realised I wasn’t sure. My response was almost automatic. Habit even. Stressful situation: eat. For others it’s drinking, having meaningless sex, overexercising or losing themselves in work. I decided to try something novel instead: How about leaning into the fear, sitting with it, reflecting on it? Where is it coming from? Is it my fear or is it someone else’s? What am I actually afraid of?

I suddenly realised being in quarantine was an opportunity to slow down. Not just for me but for everyone. A time to come together as a global community and reflect where we have been, where we are now and how we can move things forward from here. 

Day-to-day I’m practicing gratitude more than I ordinarily do and reminding myself to lean into my faith. I’ve kept to my morning routine which involves 15 minutes of meditation, journaling and 30 minutes of reading a self development book. My affirmations have kept me going and every time I’ve allowed a negative thought to creep in, and I have felt my mood starting to dwindle, I convert it to a positive one. Jumping up and down to shift your energy state also does wonders for your mood. Since you’re at home no one will see you fist pumping the air and shouting out ‘I am amazing. I am abundant. I am healthy. I am (fill in whatever resonates with you) Yes. Yes. Yes’. You might feel a bit silly at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll get addicted to how fast you can change your state. Since I can’t go out, I’ve been getting creative in the kitchen by preparing nourishing meals for my family. Oh and living in the moment more and laughing more. I have also found myself able to slow down my thoughts more easily and to breathe more deeply because I'm not forever in a rush to get anywhere. I've had time to organise my workspace at home, something I've been putting off for a while, and to spend more time reading to my children. I’ve been exercising more patience with myself and others, trusting in a Higher Power, praying more and working on forgiveness, letting go, and allowing more love in. I’ve been exercising my body for 35 minutes a day and taking the kids for short walks when there is no one else about, forever grateful that we are healthy, fit and strong and get to be together as a family. Our children, twins, are four years old, and although they don't understand why we can’t visit my parents who are considered vulnerable, they are just savouring the fact they don’t have to be at nursery until mid April and are getting to hang out at home with both their parents.

Life is good. Life is great in fact. There is so much to be grateful for. Finger pointing, blaming and judging won’t do anyone any good during this unsettling period. Washing your hands thoroughly and more often is a good idea. Social distancing is also something we should be doing. This too shall pass, but until then, slowing down and spending time in your thoughts and reconnecting with self is no bad thing. As long as we aren’t just reacting and trying to numb our fears with unhelpful and unhealthy distractions that don't serve us there is much we can learn from this experience and even more to be gained. It’s an opportunity for growth on every level, if we let it.