Hi Friends,
Don't know if you are feeling this way or not, but several colleagues of mine, across the disciplines, have been saying how exhausted they are these days. This malaise is best typified by the following comment: "I'm not commuting and I have more hours in the day but I feel like I've been working more hours and working harder than ever before!" Between working and meetings on Zoom (a new meaning to the verb "zooming") I'm hearing many people reflect on just being bone tired. Taylor Lorenz's New York Times article this morning, "Stop Trying To Be So Productive" might have the answers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/style/productivity-coronavirus.html
As she notes, COVID 19 has "brought life largely indoors" and people feel the pressure to finally get some things done around the house, do spring cleaning, come up with the perfect family time, start a diet, get in shape, write that novel, and finally learn how to use that fancy new chef knife which has scared the devil out of you until now. It's kind of like New Year's resolutions on steroids... and feels like too much. Maggie Schuman, a product specialist, says, "I'm just trying to be more okay with just being human" and Adam Hasham notes "It's like you're underwater." As Lorenz writes, "In the midst of a global pandemic that has upended nearly every facet of modern life, people are finding it harder and harder to get things done."
None of us has ever been through a global pandemic, having our hearts bombarded with band news, fear and grief each time we look at any kind of media. In addition, here at Hospice of the Valleys, we are actively learning about and engaging with this pandemic in a personal, hands-on way, all day. As Chris Bailey says, "We're going through a lot and we all just need to take it easy." So, rest. Don't beat yourself up if yo ucan't leap tall buildings in a single bound today. Be gentle with yourself. We're trying to learn how to live in a moment in history new to all of us: a heart wrenching, difficult moment of history. Give yourself a break. And take care of yourselves,
Dr. Lynn
