Hello again! Did you miss me?
It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted. This last month you could say I have been on a bit of a hiatus. I know it’s “bad for business” but sometimes you just need a break.
While I was away from blogging last month, I was still partaking in my 30 day challenges I have been completing this year, since turning 30.
Last month I decided to focus on challenges that made me feel good and gave me joy. I called it my “Finding Joy in June” challenge. This past spring season was a whirlwind – what with Hurricane Coronavirus and the American public finally acknowledging how very racist our society is – and I could not say I was sad to see it go. I realized I had felt a variety of emotions over these past few months. Angry, exhausted, infuriated, annoyed, sad. But I had not felt enough joy, despite my challenge to overcome negative thinking (still a work in progress).
So I set out to embark on a series of challenges/activities designed to bring me more joy. A few of them can be found here in The Big Book of 30 Day Challenges by Rosanna Casper.
Here’s what I did:
The Laughter Challenge
Do you laugh every day? I’m sure most of us do but it’s all too easy to get busy with the hustle and bustle of the day and before you know it the day’s gone by and we’ve forgotten to laugh. I made it a priority this month to make sure I had a good chuckle about something every single day. Whether it came through watching something funny like a movie or Youtube video, a fun meme of the day, in the presence of good and hilarious company, or a joke I made to myself, I laughed. On purpose.
In my living room, there is a plaque on my wall that says “Do one thing everyday that makes you happy.” So I did. I shut off the depressing news. I ignored negativity on social media. I tried to limit things that weren’t conducive to putting a smile on my face or bringing me joy.
Reaching Out to Old Friends Challenge
Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels
When I first set out to do this challenge, I thought it would be the challenge this month that brought me the least joy. Mostly, because my social anxiety heightens when I have to be the initiator in conversations, usually with strangers or people who I don’t talk to often. However, I had been eager to check in with some old friends of mine just to see how they were handling life during, well, everything that’s been going on. I kept procrastinating because I thought people would wonder why I’m contacting them after 5,10,15 years of distance. My anxiety whispered to me: “What should I say?” “What are they going to think?” “How long should the conversation be?” “How should I end it?” “What if they don’t want to talk to me?”
But thanks to the way text and Facebook Messenger function there’s no going back once you type and hit send. So I typed, I sent, and got quite a few responses back. Surprisingly it wasn’t as scary as I thought. It was fun, even. Checking on people, finding out what they’ve been up to all these years. It brought me joy to know that many of my old-time friends had embarked on such amazing journeys in their lives. Realizing that something I feared doing initially, turned out not to be so bad, makes me smile.
Take a Break Challenge
This one was not really a 30 day challenge but it was something I had to challenge myself to do because I rarely ever use my vacation days at work. I always think it won’t get approved (this happens) or that I’ll be inconveniencing someone by being absent. This time I decided to throw caution to the wind and take a few days off to spend time with myself doing absolutely nothing. And if you haven’t had the chance to do this in the age of corona, I advise you to.
I realize millions of people are out of work right now and that’s hard. Some people probably wish they could have something to break up the monotony of the day (hey you working-from-home folks). But going to work amidst a global pandemic ain’t easy either. For most, adjusting to going back to work with this virus still expanding and lurking through our cities and communities has been anxiety-inducing and slightly nuts. Cue George Floyd murder, police brutality protests and riots. Our country is in a state of unrest. I found myself feeling overwhelmed, tired, numb and desperately in need of some “me time’.
So I took a few days to myself to drown out the noise. I binge watched mindless television shows (boy due I wish Hamilton had premiered last month), I ate whatever I wanted, and I catered to no one but myself. I laughed, drank, and was merry. I caught up with my best friend, spent time with family, and even threw in a trip to the beach (luckily I went before the crowd hit). It was amazing. Most importantly, I didn’t feel guilty about it.
What I’ve Learned/Takeaways
In the midst of chaos, it’s important to take time out to focus on yourself. To cater to your needs and take care of your wellbeing. You may not think you deserve it. You may think you can just keep on trucking but these are trying times for everyone alive right now. It’s a must to find some semblance of joy in a world full of disaster. Find something to laugh at, daydream about, reconnect with someone, or just take some days off to decompress. You will be better for it.
I know I sure am.
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”
-Jean Shinoda Bolen
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