A Collective New Normal, Something to Look Forward To

Hello lovelies!

It's with a crazy heavy heart that I write to you this morning. I just informed my work place that I will not be leaving my house and if there are work from home options, I'll be able to commit to those. You might not have any idea what that means to me, but this is a BIG deal, I'm in LOVE with my job. Truly. I get to help little humans and their families navigate an autism diagnosis. I'm very lucky. This Covid thing is really wrecking what was normal yesterday.

The world truly has changed and shifted in a way no one truly expected, at least not in our life time.

If I remember clearly, my grandparents talked about the war, where they went in the world, what they contributed during that time and what they essentially lost. If I think about what our parents had to go through, well my husband's mom is old enough to remember the war, except she remembers conversations about the war, probably not much else. Oh and Black and White TV. That was pretty big. My Dad, if American, would have gone to serve in the Vietnam War. We've been witness to many things that have happened, over there. We all remember when North America stood still during 9-11. And we deployed our Canadian Army to help.

But to truly experience loss and have an immense feeling of panic, well that's not something I've dealt with to this degree. Things have really changed in the last several days for us.

We are heading into "a new normal", I've heard several broadcasters indicate.

Wow! A new normal. What does that even mean? What does that even look like for most/me/my family?

I'm sure like me, you have been having these after-the-kids-are-in-bed discussions with your significant other, friends, and family. These are hushed discussions because you know the affect they are having on you and your psyche, you can only imagine what it would do to your children and their psyche's.

And everyone begins to think, "Is this my new normal - the new normal of not knowing what's happening and being so out of control I can't make decisions that I feel paralyzed instead? -- Is this the new normal they have been talking about?"

I'm going to breathe in some new thoughts for you to think. Because the stress, well we could cut the worlds tension with a knife. You know things are a little crazy when Covid-19 is the entire CBC 10 o'clock news, there are NO OTHER WARS, IN OUR WORLD, BIGGER RIGHT NOW. Maybe just re-read that sentence, there are no other wars bigger than covid, today.

Now, breathe...and let's change our

thinking on this.

We are each in a position to make decisions that will ultimately adjust how we look at the world today, and in the future. Here are some ideas that I'm thinking will help me, have helped me and will take me into the next chapter my life in this world. They will ground you, as they have grounded me.

1. You are in charge. The world may be changing rapidly around you. But you are in charge. You decide who you come into contact with and what you do. You are ultimately, still, and always will be, in charge of your life and future.

2. You are a helper. You can take these words and breathe them out to your friends and family who are suffering. Remember, the "look for the helpers" - Mr. Rogers' mom used to say this to him during emergencies. Look for them, surround yourself with them and BE the Helper. You are in charge ONLY if you feel like you CAN HELP OTHERS. So find someone - your parent, your friend, your sibling, your children that need help wrapping their heads around it all. Instead of breathing in panic - as would be easy to do - breathe in calm and peace and knowing to the conversation. Because you are a helper.

3. Journal. There has never been this time in our histories. Yes, Toronto, we had SARS. But truly we also didn't appreciate it and become as overwhelmingly effected by it as Covid is presenting right now. Document it. Look back at it. See how things changed for the good and for the bad. There is going to be nothing more important for you to do than to take care of yourself in the next few days and months, so take this time in our future's history and write it out - get it out of your head all your feelings and trapped emotions - onto paper.

4. Walk daily. Don't skimp on these moments to be outside and enjoy nature. Walking clears your mind, reminds you that other people do exist and provides you with a clearer picture of life than you may have started the walk with.

5. Make honest and valuable purchases. If you wage war on Covid by buying out the store, that speaks volumes about where your brain is right now. There is no reason for anyone to stock pile groceries, cleaning supplies or self-care products. Purchase rationally, it's better for your brain to imagine that at least this is totally normal - at least this part is the SAME.

6. Breathe. Reach out. When things are getting a little heavy inside your mind, close your eyes and breathe it out. You truly don't need to keep it all inside, push all your negative thoughts out and away from you. Inhale only peace and higher vibrations. Don't sit in the heavy, push it aside a look for the light. Reach out to family or friends, talk it out. Talk it out in a solution-focused kind of way. What can you do to help? What opportunity has this presented us? I wonder...what will our new normal look like? Quite frankly if there ever was a time to re-do, now is your chance. You didn't do something you wanted to for years, now, go off and make it happen.

I will end my essay for today. Love to you, in these great and changing times. Heather xo💕

Please consider joining me in my Challenge Group - it's a special week for this new normal - I've specifically scheduled only Covid-19 related topics to help mama's find peace, as the world tilts on it's head.