As the daily number of people who test positive for COVID-19 continues to rise, as we send our kids off to school with masks and hand sanitizers, as we buckle down to control the spread of infection in our communities, I find myself thinking of how massively our lives have shifted.

Loved ones have died. People have lost jobs. Are now homeless. Can’t afford food much less medications. Or are stressed from the sharp turn our lives have taken.

Entire industries have been flattened.

Our world has changed.

While we figure out how to best fit the pieces of our lives back together again, I’m going to remind you: take your time. Slow down.

It is easy to burn out in a crisis situation. To overextend yourself. To commit to doing a bit more then a bit more then a bit more, until you’ve taken on too much … just to help someone else out. Humans are social creatures and adhere to a social contract where we do things for the community’s well-being. 

But, sometimes, it’s a good idea to just stop. Breathe. Take a moment — a few minutes, a few hours, a few days — to check in and make sure that you are still able, even if you are willing. In doing so much for one another, we sometimes forget to stop and let ourselves recover.

Decision-making during crisis situations can be exhausting. And during COVID-19, we’re all stuck making high-stakes decisions with imperfect, ever-changing information. 

You can’t rely on usual patterns of thought or action. You can’t rely on gut instincts.

We are walking new ground. And that means actively engaging your brain to think through … everything. Decision-making during this time is exhausting because our brains are creating entirely new neural pathways as our bodies adopt new skills and habits. From how to keep our kids safe to plans for the school suddenly sending a kid home. From plans on how to socialize to plans for coming in accidental contact with someone who turns out to be COVID-positive. From how to manage our usual obligations to plans for if you catch COVID and have to isolate or go to the hospital.

The fatigue sneaks up on you and overwhelms your reserves. And sometimes, someone on the outside has to step in and pull you out. Burn out, if left unaddressed, only worsens with time and can lead to terrible consequences, including substance abuse, mental illness and even suicide. This isn’t just about doing more yoga. This is about self-preservation.

So make time to stop.

Breathe.

Check in. Do something restorative. Something relaxing. Energizing. Maybe even take a week off work to just get a break…

… To remember that life can be good even in the midst of a pandemic.

Looking at these words, I’m also reminded to take my own medicine.

(Originally published in the Independent Free Press on September 25, 2020.")