Are you tracking the days since you started watching everything you touched, especially your face? I wonder when we will stop tracking that number, and begin to settle in to new habits and structures to support well being in a different way. I am fortunate to live in Southern California, where the weather has been outdoor-conducive since COVID restrictions happened in March. We have logged at least 3 miles a day in walking, if not running, and are enjoying seeing parts of our neighborhood previously unexplored. The time outside is good for my soul, feeds my vitamin D need, and inspires me when most of the news around me is noise. Except that walking on the sidewalk with the handkerchief around my neck gives me the giggles from time to time as I imagine myself as a wild west robber. Other times I feel I’m in a shootout as someone walking toward me seems to be playing chicken with me. Who will step aside to create the physical distancing? So we step into the road, knowing cars are bigger than people, and it feels like a game of Frogger has begun. For those of you who don’t know this game – a frog is trying to cross a road (sometimes a creek) with a variety of obstacles that could get in the way of success. We cross the street to give up the game of chicken, and find ourselves watching for cars so we aren’t hit. Depending on the time of day, this part of the walk/run can double our distance, and feel frustrating instead of relaxing.
It feels like we are playing a bigger game of chicken and Frogger as we consider all the touch points (costs/investments/ROI) of working at home, of opening our offices, and of returning to “normal”.
I know you are creating your best view of that, and I encourage you to consider that fatigue you may be feeling is really your version of chicken and Frogger. Give yourself a couple extra breaths during the day, and stand and stretch a few times more than you might otherwise. Add an extra glass of water to your regimen (and the necessary trip to the kitchen to get it). All of this is space. Give yourself space to be authentic in your experience of our world right now.
About Judy Hissong
Judy Hissong is the President of Nesso Strategies. A former law firm Chief Operating Officer, she helps firms become more profitable by developing leaders. Her mission is “world domination for Good.” By creating actionable, lightbulb moments that leaders want to share and spread, she intends to improve the world one person at a time.
