Quarantine as an Opportunity: Embracing the ‘ Pause ’ and Coming Back to Yourself

For some of us, the heavy “pause” mandated by quarantine is the first time we’ve had down time in ages. What if this forced down time is a gift? What if it’s an opportunity to get the rest and clarity we so desperately long for and need? What can we learn from disruptions like this? How can we transform a shocking event into an opportunity for self examination and care?   It’s an odd time, to be sure. We find ourselves forced into unexpected isolation. But there is a difference between being lonely and being alone. I wonder what healing we would find if we shifted our perspective and saw this as a gift of solitude and retreat, a unique opportunity for withdrawal from the daily hustle that demands our attention and strains our focus? The way I see it, this is a sort of “spiritual time-out”, an opportunity to distance ourselves from the things that we would normally allow to control us in order to become grounded. We can use this integrated distance from daily over-saturation and hurry and substance abuse (be it overspending or technology or the need for affirmation from others) to practice being present, to really listen to what your body and emotions are telling you, to nourish them, and to learn yourself at a deeper level. It is a gift to put space between the things that usually dictate your time, to cleanse your body and mind, and to tend to the needs of your body and soul.  But where do we even begin in tending to those needs? Honor Your Feelings  Honor ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Inspiration & Hope Mindfulness Self-Help Spirituality coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic social distancing Source Type: blogs