C-19: Prescription for Permission

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One of the challenging aspects of being in a pandemic (and sheltering in place for many of us), is having the pull of pre-pandemic rules and pressures that don’t make as much sense in our current set-up.

This much-shared tweet has really hit home with me this week:

If we really sit with the fact that we are living in a crisis, are there permissions we can give ourselves that honor where we are as people, communities, and a culture? On Instagram, @thenapministry highlights how “grind culture” keeps us in a place of feeling that we need to do more to be okay or doing as well as others. @thenapministry challenges societal structures by noting the healing components of rests-such as naps-especially in periods of collective trauma and stress. I think of Brene Brown’s exercise on writing our own prescriptions that give us permission to make self-compassionate changes.

Here are a few examples of permissions that we could give ourselves this week:

  • Take that nap

  • Eat what is available and nourishes you. You can notice hunger and not go with the mandate to diet or change your body.

  • Stare off into space at times

  • Do more things that are soothing to your five senses

  • Know that you won’t be able to complete your work like you would’ve two months ago

  • Acknowledge that you are a parent guiding some teaching—you are not a full-time teacher

  • To take time to notice feelings

  • I am going to take my own advice about giving myself permission during this time, and back off of daily posts. It was a great exercise for 3 weeks and is an example of how I used to handle stress: make a goal and start a challenge. But writing a daily post, is a bit exacting and I have other stuff to do. I still plan to write a few posts a week.

    See you next week..