COVID-19 Archives - Jamie English

December 11, 2020 by Jamie English Leave a Comment

Everyone’s Tired

If you don’t want to read this once I mention the pandemic, I’m probably talking about you. Back in March, April, and May, most of us knew that there was a reason we were “off.” We were stressed and impacted by the pandemic. During the summer, I found myself reminding many of my clients and friends (and myself, honestly) that we are not operating at 100%. I saw a figure that someone estimated we were at about 65%, which resonated with me. We were doing more than half, but we were struggling to “pass the class.” But here we are, nine(ish) months later….and I am hearing from clients and friends (and experiencing it myself) this phenomenon of not wanting to do anything we usually do for fun and enjoyment. For me, it was showing up in reading, learning, and listening to podcasts. I was struggling to want to. I mentioned this to a friend, and she said she was experiencing the same thing. It is showing up for others in not enjoying cooking or Christmas shopping or walking the dog. Whatever you usually enjoy is taking extra effort and not as fun as it used to.

So, here’s my theory. It is burnout. We’ve been operating with AT LEAST a low level of stress in the background….and some of us have moderate or high levels. Our bodies and our brains are saying, “I just can’t.” We have to make rest, and taking a break, high on the priority list. I hope you can take a break….a good break, with plenty of rest and renewal. Virtual hugs and good vibrations sent your way!

July 10, 2020 by Jamie English Leave a Comment

Still Missing a Step Here and There

I recently read a quote from Lemony Snicket describing what it’s like when you experience the death of a loved one. He likened it to walking up the stairs in the dark and then thinking there is one more step than there is. When you try to take the next step and nothing is there, and your foot falls differently than you expected, it takes a minute to readjust. I liked this description of a feeling that I think many of us have experienced over the last few months, adjusting to changes because of a global pandemic. These are changes that continue to change and require adjusting.

I also saw a meme that I COULD NOT find. (If you know where to find this meme, help a girl out.) The meme said we are operating at about 66%. With the global pandemic, our brains don’t allow us to be in crisis mode for much past six weeks. Yet, we aren’t up to optimal operating either. Maybe we don’t try for that last step except 1 out of every 3 times. It was a good reminder to myself that it is okay and normal to have some struggles still. We are adjusting as we go. Hang in there, friends.

March 27, 2020 by Jamie English Leave a Comment

Making It up as I Go Along

Y’all! (Read this with the most southern drawl you can muster in your head!)

I wrote about the pandemic some last week, and I told myself that I was writing one blog about it and moving on to other content. Maybe that is my way of coping, to try to maintain some normalcy in my life and routine. Since I seldom blog ahead of time, I am writing based on current events and inspiration in my life. Maybe it was a tad unrealistic only to have one blog post that has some content related to this pandemic, this global event that is touching each of us in one way or another.

I want to say this. NONE of us know what we are doing. Nobody knows for sure how to do this. Sure, there are experts on biology and disease and even pandemics. There are experts on anxiety management and stress. There are experts on critical incidents. That does not mean they know what they are doing right now. So much of this is unprecedented. So much of this is uncertain and unknown. And each of us is figuring out what it means in our life. If you feel like you are making it up as you go, it is probably because you are! Giving ourselves so much grace and gentleness, however we are managing and whatever that looks like, is key to getting through this! We WILL get through this!

March 20, 2020 by Jamie English 1 Comment

In This Together

I was watching something recorded a year ago about community. It was said that community is defined as a group that is greater than the sum of their parts. And in a book I was reading, not related to what is going on in the world, the author said that community is how we get through stressful events. It seemed like it was a message worth noting

As I write this, the United States (as well as many other countries) experienced a dramatic shift this week. COVID-19 is spreading, and the various government leaders have declared this pandemic a state of emergency. I am pretty sure we are all feeling the fear, the stress, and the overwhelm. We simply do not know how this will play out, when it will peak, and when we can breathe a sigh of relief.

Community then? Community is how we get through stressful events. Where is your community? It seems to me we are getting creative from many different corners. I saw a few posts where people are putting different things in their windows or writing messages on their sidewalk with chalk so that neighbors going on walks (yet keeping their distance) can connect on some level. I’m seeing people meeting up online, drinking coffee together, or having roundtable discussions I have emails from businesses saying they are “here for me.” As cheesy as it sounds (or even if you are getting sick of it or cynical that it is in their interested more than mine), it is still nice to hear.

I am sadly reminded of a time in 2001, when the future of the US was uncertain and scary. The Internet was not as be-bopping as it is now, but I felt the community. Churches had special meetings to come together. I was in graduate school, and classes met and discussed our thoughts and feelings, while class content stepped aside and waited. I look back on these times, times when community helped us get through a tough time. COVID-19 and self-quarantining and social distancing are different from 9/11, but community is how we will get through this. I am so grateful, so very grateful that many resources can be accessed online. A community really is a group that is greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the key to getting through anything….together.

Connect with your community. Call your family, your friends, your people. Not sure who your community is? This is the time to take notice…..they are there. Look around your neighborhood or your town. Right now is the time we are all intentionally connecting. We are in this together!

Everyone’s Tired

Still Missing a Step Here and There

Making It up as I Go Along

In This Together

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