Quarantine life is no walk in the park (pun intended), it is a challenge.
Everyday is different and the same, so you may get the feeling that you have hit a wall, that is, of course, if you haven’t already.
Individual differences are important elements that need to be considered when trying to understand how complex, multidimensional and relative Human Performance can be. We all work, perform and excel at different levels of stimulation, whether that be from stress or eustress (stress that has a positive effect). There are adaptive and maladaptive ways of dealing with stress. Interestingly though there is no right or wrong way to experience stress, we do that quite differently.
Individual differences are psychological characteristics that determine our individuality. Essentially they are what distinguishes one person from another. They can be intelligence, values, personality, and influenced by upbringing, customs and cultures.
Considering that individual differences play a role in peak/high performance, so can they affect the response/experience of stress.
In the face of stress, resilience doesn’t look the same every day, to every person or for every stage of life. You may be able to dive into projects and talk with family, while someone else needs to rest, or cocoon.
Neither response is wrong...or right.
When a high performer is faced with a challenge, the response option isn’t between positive and negative, but based on what is CONSTRUCTIVE. That is, what is helpful, useful, and efficient as it pertains to the performance/goal. What is constructive, is based on your own circumstance. Constructive for the person that has been waiting to 'have the time' to do something - is to dive into projects. Constructive for the person that never had a moment to stop and breathe - is to rest. It really is up to the goal and vision of yourself that you are, want to be, or seek to create.
A useful approach is to pay attention to what you do everyday. Keep a log of what you do and rate how you feel at the end of that day. This is how you can gauge your constructiveness.
TIP: This list will give you insight into what you might need on a given day. It is not a measure of your productivity, it increases awareness.
Social media has always been a great tool, connecting people from all walks of life, from all over the world with a click of a button. As a result, we are not only inundated with messages about what is happening in the world, but also on how we are ‘supposed’ to deal with it. These messages can breed COMPARISON. Comparison is a positive tool when it serves to model helpful behaviors and increase awareness of what is possible. Unfortunately though, on its more familiar flip side, comparison, when directed inwards serves to attack self-confidence and incite self-hatred.
A useful approach is to pay attention to how you feel when you scroll through your social media, does it lift you up or bring you down. Pay attention to who/what you are comparing yourself to.
TIP: Limiting your interaction with accounts that make you compare negatively, gives you space for messages that are helpful to your growth.
Making the most of the day has merit. But doing your best is worth more.
What is important in the midst of all the things you are doing, or could be doing is showing yourself COMPASSION. Compassion by making sure you do what serves and feeds your spirit. Allowing yourself to be flexible, and honest about what you need and understanding that it can and will change from day to day.
What you do every day doesn’t have to be life changing or earth shattering. Be patient with yourself; take suggestions, try everything, but remember that the journey is yours.
A useful approach is to pay attention to how you speak to yourself when you are attempting something new, or just don't feel like you are in the mood to do anything at all.
TIP: Allowing yourself to feel is healthy. It wont be good all the time, and it wont be bad all the time. Reach out to someone, write it down, let yourself rest, or revel. Make the adjustments that are appropriate for the next day.
As you navigate your quarantine time, remember to be Constructive, use Comparison in a healthy way and have Compassion with yourself and with others that may not be reacting or responding to stress in the same way you are.
You don't have to fit a mold, you don't have to be up and active all the time.
You don't have to be like anyone else.
You just have to pay attention to your experience and your response.
Are you responding constructively, with compassion or have been stuck in a comparison cycle?
Not sure?