Social Distance Is Weird, By Kristine Kazias
Speaking as a very introverted person who lives alone and who very much needs her space to get away from the noise inside her head, social-distancing is weird.
It’s one thing to understand my need for distance after a busy day, or to be the kind of person who shies away from crowds because they’re a little too much. But to find myself in a place where I suddenly have no social outlet at all? That’s a whole other thing. Because even as an introvert, I understand the importance of human connection.
Sure texting, calling, and FaceTiming is great, but it’s not the same as being able to step into a familiar place, see familiar faces and have an actual moment with someone. That check-in of “how’s your day?” or “what’s new?” or “how are you feeling?”
And as a person who NEEDS her distance and who LIKES to be alone, let me tell you, I am struggling with not having those moments. A lot.
What’s happening right now is a loss, and we’re all coming to terms with that in our own way. Routines have changed. Normalcy has changed. There is a palpable fear in the air and it’s hard not to get sucked into the mass hysteria of it, and the lingering questions of what happens next. There is legitimate, crippling fears about finances, or about feeling exposed to this virus while you’re at the grocery store or passing by people on the sidewalk when you’re walking your dog. You question what is reasonable behaviour and what just seems crazy while trying to navigate this strange, new world we’ve found ourselves in.
And despite every government announcement there just doesn’t seem to be any helpful answers right now. Which means that, for the moment, we need to get comfortable with leaning into the discomfort of the unknown.
And I don’t like this. This FEELS terrible. I feel lonely, and I feel scared, and unmotivated, and disconnected, and unsure, and I know that I am not the only one that feels this way. Whether you are introverted or extroverted. Social-distancing with your family or doing this on your own. This. Is. Overwhelming. Not knowing what happens next, is overwhelming.
So please, be gentle and exercice patience with yourself right now. Keep doing your WOD’s, sleep-in if you need it, listen to music that moves you, go for a long walk, snuggle with your pet, teach your kids the best way you know how, read that book that you’ve been meaning to, eat healthily...but if you eat all your quarantine snacks do not feel guilty about it!
Most importantly, treat people with kindness. Check-in on the people you care about. Check-in on someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Check-in on someone who lives alone. Check-in with yourself and make sure you’re getting all the support you need, too.
This is a stressful time, but FirePower has built us a home where nothing is stronger than our FirePower family. And although right now we may be out a home, we are not out a family. So lean into the comfort of the family that you’ve found.
And stay well.
Kristine xx