I find myself so easily exhausted, and I was thrilled to read this article sent by my friend, Patti, called, “Why Am I So Tired?”
I love how the author explains what’s happening in our brains as we stay put in this COVID-19 world. I learn about trauma. I learn about stress. I learn about uncertainty (my least favorite thing!). Our poor brains! It’s time to rest, live in grace, and do whatever we need to do (sleep, eat popcorn for dinner) and feel what we need to feel. She puts it’s like this:
We cannot expect ourselves to function optimally during this time. Recognizing that, and giving ourselves grace in our self-talk about our perceived under-performance or our lack of energy and motivation, is the key to surviving. . . During times of survival, our expectations for ourselves and our families must be lowered.
It indeed feels like a time of under-performance on some days. I’m not learning a new language or writing the novel I hoped I’d write. I’m not reorganizing my whole house and painting everything (although I am trying watercoloring some nights). I love how I might simply lower the expectations for myself and others–including my students and my children–as they deal with the traumatic events surrounding living in during a pandemic.