A Wake-Up Call in Times of a Crisis
A crisis is a crisis. And we are in one now. Ladies and gentlemen, straight out the gate, I've just delivered you two undeniable facts.
Wait for it, because it's about to whole get better.
Crisis or not, how you react to it is entirely up to you.
Fuck me, another fact. And here's me thinking Quarantine is making me lose my mind.
And there's beauty in all of this.
Right now, arguably, for the first time in your life — having spent your entire adult life pining for more — you have been given the gift of time.
And as tensions boil over and patience wears thin, it's up to you — and only you — whether you use this time wisely or not.
Personally, I don't think it's wise to spend that time on Facebook bitching or spreading fear or trying to convert your friends to your conspiracy theories or making this about vaccines and fried 5G brains or trying to control or dictate a situation you'll never be able to control.
So, instead of getting pissed off about the whole situation, maybe it's time for a wake-up call? (Note: the last is likely the most important.)
A call for better health
What better time to focus on your health than right now?
That includes everything from your diet to your gut, your immunity, your hydration, your thoughts, your beliefs, and both your physical and mental health.
A call for better fitness
If you're not happy with your fitness, you now have more time to do something about it. And start stacking those results up before re-entering the world.
I saw my mum doing zumba on Facetime the other day and loving it. Hilarious. There are a million and one things you can do online, all of which will feed you with endorphins and ensure you are feeling much better about yourself instead of sitting around thinking just how shit this shit show is.
After all, if the show is shit, should you not turn it off?
A call for better hygiene
Not that I ever did, I swear, but most of us will never go to the bathroom again and not wash our hands. And that's a good thing — a very good thing!
Hell, most of us won't even enter our house again without washing our hands.
A call for better sleep
No commute? Make the most of it. The better your sleep, the lower the production of stress hormones and the healthier you will be. So tuck yourself in and make the most of it.
Balls deep in stress from it all and can’t sleep?
Stop consuming bullshit media that spikes your cortisol and build yourself a healthy night time routine which includes meditation, some yin yoga, and a book you can get lost in.
Or whatever helps to relax you?
A call for greater versatility
Human beings adapt and evolve. That's what we do. It's what we have always done.
Times are changing. You can accept it and roll with it or deny it and drown in it.
Go with the former, and you'll have an opportunity to earn a whole lot of self-respect in the process.
A call for positivity
At the start of the year, a few friends were calling me Positive Nick. Catchy, don't you think?
That's how I was determined to roll in 2020. And then the world got fucked by a Chinese bat.
Shit happens. Foundations became unstable. And all of a sudden, things you have been working your ass off for, collapse. Gone. For good.
Misery is easy. It always has been — and always will be — the easiest option of them all. But that doesn't help anyone. It certainly doesn't help me, and it certainly won't help you. So don't accept it.
It's not about flicking a switch and transforming into Mary Poppins. That's bullshit. That's the other side of denial.
However, you can start looking for the positives in all this because they are there. Those who seek shall find.
A call to check in with your values
If you’re not happy and you feel you haven’t been living in align with your values or guiding principles, then what better time to check-in, get clear on them, and devise a plan to do something about it?
A call for introspection
Following on from my last point, what better time to look inwards and ask yourself a few hard truths and commit to making some changes that will lead to greater levels of happiness when this is all said and done?
A call for more fun and laughter
I know this pandemic is by no means funny, but that doesn’t mean you should cease all laughter.
As adults, we have a tendency to take life way too seriously. We lose any sense of innocence, and before we know it, life has passed us by, and we're pissed off and full of regret because we didn't allow ourselves to enjoy it.
Seek out more fun and laughter and your life will be better. That's true presence.
A call to stop taking life so serious
We all mess up. And we all get screwed over from time to time. That's life. Very few know what the hell is going on.
The more serious we take it, the more negatively it impacts us.
Individuals are going to blame themselves for this. As a result, we will likely see suicide rates skyrocket in the coming year when the full force of the depression and aftermath kicks in.
There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. None of it is your fault. And yes, life is unfair.
This is not the time for pride. If anything, it's the time for humiliation. It's time to realise how little control we have. It's time to stop taking it all so seriously. And it's time to make a change. And maybe listen to a little Cat Stevens.
A call to reach out to those that mean the most to you
Loneliness levels have skyrocketed in the age of social media. All those Facebook friends and followers you've acquired aren't friends. They likely don't even care about you.
You know your friends. You know the people that have touched you — appropriately — throughout your life. And you know those you love and those that love you.
Now, regardless, of where you find yourself living, you're as close to these people as you've ever been.
Give 'em a call. Say what's up.
A call to learn and grow
We constantly need to learn and grow. Sometimes we do it in ways that are good for us. Sometimes we do it in ways that are bad for us.
Not happy with your present? Where can you put your energy now to help you ensure yourself a better future?
A call for way less news and social media
The media are responsible for little more than widespread panic and fear. And all that comes flooding into your newsfeed.
Obviously, some social media is excellent right now. We're probably more grateful for it than we have ever been, while at the same time it is arguably causing more harm than ever.
My two cents: Less newsfeed. More messenger.
A call to be still
All our lives all we hear is more, more, more. And other bullshit messages that make us feel crap while simultaneously driving us bananas.
That's never going to change, but right now, you have an opportunity to sit down and learn what it's like to be still.
For most, it sucks because we can't stand the thoughts in our head. It's why we spend a lifetime running from them.
Try to sit with them for a change. See if you can work some shit out.
What have you got to lose?
A call to re-evaluate your life and get serious about change
I don't know the numbers, but the vast majority of people it seems are dissatisfied — and not just a little bit — with how their life is unfolding.
Now would seem like a perfect time to devise a plan of action to do something about it.
Hate your job? With any luck, you'll lose it. Get to work on your resume.
Lonely? What events can you attend when all is said and done where you have a high probability of meeting people who share the same vibes?
Find them online now in the different groups and start pushing past your comfort zone.
If you are willing to put the effort in to do it, you have a distinct advantage because most people are not.
A call to end procrastination
Unless you've been procrastinating on introducing yourself to that chick at the coffee shop, there's likely an awful lot you can get cracking on now that will help ensure you come out of this feeling less stressed and more optimistic about your future.
I picked up my book and started writing again and got to work on preparing a workshop. Both I have procrastinated on for years. And both have offered a quiet sense of satisfaction as I work on them.
What are you procrastinating on?
A call to create better habits
If you started meditating everyday now because you want your lungs fighting fit if should you get the virus, not only are you going to improve your health—you will be creating a pretty solid habit.
You might then add yoga to this because yoga is amazing, and before long, you will create a snowball effect of healthy habits to knock off the bad ones.
You’ll never regret it. You just have to start.
A call for gratitude
I don't know about you, but whenever I get out of here, I'm hugging everybody!
I'm also going to have so much more appreciation for not only things that I used to take for granted but for things that used to piss me off like BREXIT. And idiots.
You still have a lot to be grateful for. It's a good time to start practising.
A call for greater creativity
Creativity can be whatever you want it to be. Penis-shaped cookies, anybody? Delicious.
There is an artist in you somewhere. Allow them to come out and play. There's no obligation to share it with the world, but why not play with your creativity and find something truly authentic within you as opposed to the made-up stuff that claims to be?
A call to read a great book
Probably not the worst time to read "Everything is Fucked" by Mark Manson because everything is fucked. And it’s about HOPE.
Conversely, the best books now likely have nothing to do with personal development. They offer something far more beautiful that is in high demand right now: Escapism.
Find a book you can get lost in, and you won't ever want to put it down.
And, finally, a call to hit the brakes and chill the fuck out.
You'd be foolish to think you can't burn yourself out during Quarantine.
If you try to do everything I mention above you'll likely burn yourself out and have massive regrets in the future as to how you utilised this time.
You can just be. Allow your time to pass. However you see fit.
It's your time.
If you want to pass it in a haze of smoke playing Playstation, then good for you.
And don't try to repress your emotions. Allow them to roll with it — all of it.
When you're pissed off, embrace it. When you're happy, embrace it. When you're anxious? Embrace it. When you're feeling depressed? Embrace it.
Suicidal? Give someone a call. For the love of God give someone a call.
The beauty in all this, for once, is that we're all in it together. It's a wide little ride we're on. And right now, the best thing you can do is roll with it as best you can.
Just a few fleeting thoughts to hopefully help you out. What’s keeping you entertained during these crazy days?