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“If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.” – Eckhart Tolle

Re-Entry Post Pandemic

Re-Entry Post Pandemic

Re-Entry Post Pandemic

Are you ready for re-entry?
I went away on a girls weekend with my bestie Lynne Sheridan last weekend (which was fabulous!) and what was clear to me was how uncomfortable I was being around LOTS of people.
Throughout the Pandemic, my family and I have had our little cohort of family and a few friends. We have been careful, tested, and now thankfully are almost fully vaccinated. I have sequestered myself in conference rooms for my trainings and…gone to the grocery store.
Being out and about, even with distancing and masks was well frankly, assaulting. No person was assaulting…I simply was in the presence of the energy of PEOPLE.
I realized we are about to start re-entry into our public lives and I began to consider how to be “ready” or prepared. Please hear me; I am looking forward to being with people, hugging, training live trainings, eating out, going on vacation. I just didn’t realize how foreign it might feel.
So here is my simple guide to re-entry. Perhaps you will find it helpful ☺
  1. Be prepared for short tempers, reactivity and well, anti-social behavior. Not only have we been isolated for a year (we forgot our manners), there has been tremendous stress, discord, upset, frustration, desperation and anger over the last year. This all has come from many sources: politics, finances, our jobs, quarantine, kids at home, health concerns, isolation….its been ON. Antidote: have empathy, compassion, patience and don’t react to their reaction. Keep your cool and walk in their moccasins.
  2. Honor your feelings and experience. Notice if a situation is too much for you. If 15 people plus kids at your Mom’s house for a gathering is too much, don’t go or duck out early. If the girl’s night out is at a crowded bar and that feels overwhelming, find a different way to connect, i.e. a walk on the beach. Antidote: Check in with yourself and your experience and emotions. If you are anxious or stressed, it may not be the best choice for you. Remember, you always have choice.
  3. Take stock of who you really resonate with. Many people have redefined their values and purpose over the last year. The Pandemic has “forced” us to make very conscious choices around who we connect with, how we connect with them and to actively nurture relationships that matter. Pay attention to who you have stayed tight with, who you resonate with, and which relationships are mutually empowering and energizing. No antidote here; simply continue your uplifting relationships and be ok with what falls away.
  4. Continue the helpful habits! Many folks (me included) got rigorous about healthy habits during this last year. Perhaps you began meditating, or breath work; some of us started in home exercise routines or yoga. Maybe the daily dog walk is sacred time now or you got serious about eating well. If you have begun some helpful habits, stay rigorous about continuing the streak. Adding to your dance card does not mean you have to leave out self-care:). Vitamins for the soul: Maintain these habits as non-negotiable.
  5. Extreme Gratitude. I won’t go into all the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of gratitude, you are more than familiar with these. If you are reading this, you are alive. Over half a million people in the United States are not, and millions worldwide have died. Living in a state of gratitude (FOR ALL OF IT) is the ultimate antidote. It’s the antidote for self-pity, blame, frustration, resentment…pretty much all disempowering thoughts. Feel your emotions, (ie sadness, grief) and be grateful. Especially during re-entry, I believe this will serve you well.
As a kid, I loved the space program. I would never miss a space launch or touch down. As the space capsule begins re-entry…it literally catches on fire as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere. If the movies are accurate, it is also a rough ride in the capsule and they would lose contact with NASA.
In that moment, the astronauts depend on faith and their years of preparation to bring them home. This is our moment of faith as humanity. That the preparation of the last year, as difficult and redefining as it has been, will bring us home. To our vision, to our purpose, to our loved ones and to this new moment of possibility.
Happy Re-Entry!
Much love,
Lisa