Coping With A New Way Of Life
Finding goodness in madness-Blue Insight May 2020 Prompt
Retirement has many perks, but it comes with a downside too. As one of the few amongst my friends who retired early, coupled with being single, I am alone quite a bit.
Prior to retiring, I was surrounded by two thousand people on any given work day. Between retiring and moving from the suburbs where my family, friends and colleagues are, to moving to an urban setting, the multitude of people I come in contact with now are strangers.
My entire routine changed to one that didn’t vacillate much. Weekdays were pretty consistent with exercise, writing, and errands. Weekends were set aside for meet and greets, brunches, dinners, movies and whatever else I had going on. It was spent with loved ones. But the weekdays were often lonely, with little interaction from friends.
It’s easier to accept inequity of time when everyone is busy.
Unlike myself, my friends had a week that consisted of long commutes, taxing days, overtime, and somewhat inflexible schedules. Their breaks and lunch hours were spent running errands, or picking up lunch. We rarely spoke during the day. If time allowed, we’d meet up after work for a quick bite, drink or shopping.
It’s easier to accept inequity of time when everyone is busy. Because I worked with friends, and lived near friends and family, time was never an issue. Meeting after work was a cinch, and visiting family after work was doable.
COPING WITH A NEW WAY OF LIFE
A NEW WAY
Life as we know it has changed since the pandemic. Everything is different. But like everything else, we must learn to cope when change happens.
Currently routines have changed. This has greatly impacted our interactions and lifestyles. Most people are working from home. The flexibility of leaving home is almost non-existent. These changes come with more stress and anxiety. Not just from work, but also from the lack of human contact.
Intrinsically, we are made to love, hug, and show affection for one another. This new way of life has stifled that. Let’s face it, not being able to hug someone is an action greatly missed.
FRIENDS MEETING FRIENDS
Grim news plagues us daily. In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to ensure everyone is well, mentally and physically. This is especially true for those who live alone. Staycation and social distancing has added a new dimension to loneliness.
Working from home has altered the ratio of time spent traveling to and from work, running errands, and socializing. The addtional time my friends have has worked well for me.
In some ideal way, it has also worked to give us more time together. Those extra moments are now spent keeping in touch. Especially with me.
During this madness, the goodness that has come out of if for me is the constant, continuous support from family and friends that check on my well being.
In addition, collectively my friends formed a social network. Each night a couple of us have a virtual get together. On the weekend, we all join in, even if it’s for a short time.
The luxury of digital contact has served to connect us in a way that affords us an opportunity to come together and stay connected, where we strengthen each other’s spirit in unity. It’s a place of hope, support and comfort. It is a powerfully striking tool.
FINDING GOODNESS IN MADNESS
This dire situation that the world is in has produced some goodness in combating my loneliness.
- My friends now check on me daily to ensue that I’m okay. It is a comforting habit that they have developed.
- My sister-in-law gives me a pre-work (for her) call each morning at 8:30
- My friend who is a therapist checks in once a week to “evaluate” my state of mind
- My mechanic calls very other Monday
- On Friday afternoons, a friend orders a meal for me from a local restaurant that delivers
- Every two weeks family/friends drops off groceries
Trying to cope with this new way of life has not been easy for any of us. The good that has come out of this madness is renewed friendships and interactions that had fallen by the wayside. It has uplifted my spirits immensely.
Our Earth is also blossoming. It has bounced back faster than we have!
