I have been getting into the habit of self-reflection in my spare time lately.
Most of the time this is beneficial, but not always.
Sometimes I get down on myself for something I did or didn’t do or something silly I get hung up on but during reflection, I blow out my breath and let it go.
I think going through this process is my brain’s way of handling each day and trying to keep my focus on what can and can’t be controlled when dealing with a global pandemic.
(Man, my therapist would be so proud right now.)
This has really helped me in the last few months as events are picking back up with the sense that it could all come to a halt once more.
I’ve been asking myself “What did I like about today?”
To be completely honest, I don’t always have an answer, so I’ll then think “What can I do to make tomorrow better?” or “What was missing from today?” and work off of that.
I don’t know how you are feeling with everything going on or what you feel works for you during this time of weirdness, but I hope it’s working.
The bottom line of this column is I hope you are OK and you feel you can reach out to loved ones if needed.
Speaking as Hope the Human and not Hope the Reporter, I hope you are well or at least working on being well.
If you have read my columns before, you know they are typically lighthearted and wacky. But this week, I was feeling this message weighing on me to be shared.
Being in this line of work, you talk to a lot of people.
Along with just living in the Midwest, people are used to being asked “How are you?”
But when I call with questions for an article or what have you, I really want to know: How are you?
Maybe we don’t know each other well but, hey, I have time to talk.
I try to check in with people when I can while still accomplishing work, but even writing this, I realize there are some I need to do a better job with.
Ok, maybe I’m not the person to talk to, but a close friend or family member would be happy to sit down and catch up.
At this point in the pandemic, we all need something or someone to hold onto to get us through however long this thing lasts.
If nothing else, this is a call to action to reach out to someone, anyone, if you are feeling even the slightest need during this crazy time. And who knows, they might just need it too.
