isolation.

“Your elevation may require your isolation.” – Anonymous

This time in self-distancing has been relaxing, and at the same time, this has been challenging. As we’re all socially distancing ourselves because of the Coronavirus, I find myself starting to feel anxious. My anxiety isn’t based on fear or “fear of missing out” – its more a feeling of disconnection.

I’ve been doing daily video meetings with my staff, as I appreciate having the face-to-face communication, not just hearing their voices. I have no idea when my next gig will be, and that’s very hard for me, because I enjoy interacting with people. My depression is under control, but I’ve had a hard time sleeping since staying at home almost all of the time.

This is new for all of us – as some people are much more at risk with the symptoms of this virus, I would be devastated if I knew that my actions could put someone else’s life in extreme danger. I’ve seen a former family member almost pass away from getting a virus while their immune system was compromised, so I take this very seriously. The downside for me is that I feel cut off from the rest of the outside world.

So that I feel less like I’m on an island, I’ve made a point of not only communicating daily on social media (Facebook Messenger), but I also have used this time as an opportunity to reconnect and make amends with a couple of people that I’d hurt years ago. Although I had already forgiven myself for these mistakes, it was still very important to me to apologize directly, even if no response is given.

I’m using this time to be productive, but also focus on my inner peace. So far, this year has been challenging for all of us. It’s been uplifting to see the overall tone changing towards the positive on social media, as people are reaching out to check on others, or putting funny stories and contests on their pages, compared to the daily political arguments that dominated all of the platforms. Let’s hope that this trend continues, long after the Coronavirus is behind us. It reminds me of how people came together after 9/11,but it’s sad that it takes a pandemic event to bring people together this way.

I hope that we can all reconnect sooner than later, but I also understand that it could get worse before it gets better. With each day, I’ll continue to try and stay connected, through reaching out to friends, making new friends, and trying to do random acts of kindness. Hopefully we’ll all feel less isolated.