So when we all counted down from 10 as the ball dropped on December 31, 2019, did you ever think that 2020 would look like this? Yeah girl, me either. I keep telling one of my good friends that I feel like I am in a simulation like this isn’t real somehow. However, as much as I don’t want to believe this to be real, it is. And it’s okay to feel how you feel about it.
It’s been weird right? It has for me at least. During this time I finished my first year of graduate school, but my grandmother also passed. It feels as if my highs and lows are all blurred together along with the days. I almost sent out an email today saying “Happy Wednesday!” It is 100% Monday, people. I’ll have weird moments where I am pumped for the day and will have done yoga, cleaned the apartment, and finished some studying all before 10am. Other days, I won’t want to get out of bed.
I am saying all this to let you know that you are not alone, sis. A lot of people right now are suffering from fear, uncertainty, boredom, stress, and the pressure to perform and still be who you were before this whole thing started. And the reality is that you’re not the same person you were before we started this. You have to acknowledge this is not normal. You have to be willing to give yourself a break for not having everything figured out. Because sis, even the smartest people in the world don’t have it figured out.
I first want to let y’all know that ya girl does not have it all figured out either. However, I have been using some coping mechanisms that have seemed to work a lot for me. If you are down, try them out. But just remember, you don’t have to go through this alone. Heck, if you need to, send me an email at theresaanndickerson@gmail.com and we can zoom if you feel like you really need to talk to someone. Okay, so let’s get to it.
Scripture
Reading scripture is how I am reminded of God’s promises and for me in this season, it is a must. Here are a couple of my favorites that have been keeping me going.
“Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today…”
Exodus 14:14
“Who saved us and called us to a holy calling; not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the games began.”
2 Timothy 1:9
“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:34
“He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31
This is my favorite playlist to use for worship (yup, by myself in my room), praying, journaling, bible studying.
Listen to Your Favorite Playlist
Thanks to my amazing zoom yoga sessions with amazing instructors, I have been discovering such great music, lately. Even if it is just playing in my kitchen, it lifts my spirit and the room. Check out my two new favorite playlists:
Read
My best friend in graduate school calls it mindless reading. We have been filling our down time with stories of romance and adventure to help us when we need a little break from the world. Instead of opening Instagram (which has been the source of my anxiety lately, I have been opening up the pages of a well-loved book.) Lately I’ve read the following:
- The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (Check out my review here)
- Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
I look forward to reading these books in the next couple of months:
- I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
- Necessary Rebirths: A Collection of Poems + Prose for Awakening by Nicole M. Long
- Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Do you love to read like me? Let’s be friends on GoodReads!
Meditate
My favorite meditation app is Headspace. I probably need to be using it more, but I like to use it when my brain feels like its in chaos. It brings me back to reality when I am in my head too much and is good at grounding me when I am feeling a little helpless in this pandemic time. Headspace guides you through meditations for topics including:
- Weathering the storm
- Anger, Sadness, and Growth
- Focus at work
- Reframing stress and relaxation
- Studying for students
Those are just a few examples, but they have so much more and even a guided exercises to help you out with getting better sleep.
Meditation has been shown to help people stress less, focus more and even sleep better. Headspace is meditation made simple. We’ll teach you the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day. – Headspace
Practice Yoga…Daily
Every week I try to find a live zoom yoga class I can participate in. Since September, I have been really intentional about my mental health and yoga helps keep my body moving and helps me practice controlling the things I can control and giving God the things I can’t. I love to practice with Yoga With Adrienne or with my local yoga studio via virtual classes. Black Girl Yoga has been having these amazing free sessions with other black women to help boost the power of communion even in a socially distant time. Check out my favorite resources for my yoga practice:
black girl yoga – host free yoga classes (There is a free class May 24. Check it out below.) They also have a group on Facebook you can join to keep updated with individual instructors classes.
Yoga With Adriene – great free yoga videos and even has free courses (and others you can pay for.)
Volunteer
I volunteer with hospice service in my local area and I have been doing everything from making birthday cards to playing the piano and singing for patients. I have always had a really close relationship with my grandparents so I love the work I do for hospice. It feels good to know that something I do is going to give someone else so much joy. Look for virtual volunteer opportunities near you. You can tutor children, volunteer at your church, make masks for people and communities in need, donate food to the food bank, etc. If you are going to be working in person, you should wear a mask.
Take a Walk
Sometimes you just need to take a walk. Exercise is so important and can easily be neglected during this time. There are so many different virtual workouts you can partake in on YouTube and through other media platforms. It doesn’t have to be anything long, however, exercising your body not only boosts your mood, it helps maintain muscle mass necessary for proper bodily function. (There you go, my first “health” advice as a second-year physiology student.) Plus, walking or spending time in nature gets you bonus points. Please wear a mask if you do decide to partake in these activities outside.
Spend Time with you Loved Ones
We were not meant to do this thing called life alone. Hebrews 10:24-25 literally says “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” No, I am not saying roll up on your best friends out. We will be socially distancing on this blog until physicians and universities say it is safe. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that we can’t gather virtually with our loved ones. Call your friends. Yes, even the one you haven’t spoken to in a while. Remember, they are going through the same thing. Call your parents. They want to know you are okay. Be in (VIRTUAL) communion with your loved ones because life, love, and happiness, are not canceled. Even if its for fifteen minutes, do not try to go through this alone.
So that is a wrap for today’s post. Yes, I know it was a lot, but I hope that it can help bring you some positivity. Remember, this is just a small list. What have you been doing during this time that you think can help others? Comment down below! Please know that you are so so so loved, my friend and I am proud of you for hanging in there. As always, thanks for reading. You are blessed, brilliant, and beautiful. We’re going to make it through this.
Theresa Ann <3
