Contributed by Piper Strick.

First, let me tell you who I am and what I do for a living. That will set the stage for what’s to follow. At my core, I’m a helper! I try to help people see new perspectives, try new behaviors, examine their thinking, be more effective…essentially become a better version of themselves. My job requires this of me as I’m responsible for talent management and development. Even some of my friends and family have come to rely on me for these skills. What’s been interesting recently is the need to learn to help MYSELF. For some reason, that’s harder…much harder. So I’ve employed a journal and some guided exercises from the experts. Here are some of my lessons from working in a world with Coronavirus over the past several weeks.

Needs

At the start of all this, five weeks or so ago, I found myself whining a bit. My mental monologue included statements of fact like, “But I NEED to be with people!” “I need to wear all the cute shoes in my closet.” “I need to be somewhere other than my house.” Pretty quickly I found that my perspective was quite negative. And upon examination, I realized these weren’t actually needs but wants. From then on, when I feel like I’m missing out on something I ask myself, “Is this a need to have or a nice to have?” If it’s merely a nice to have, I put it on a list to keep track of it for when I can do that thing or have that thing again. If it’s a need to have, I ask the next question. “Do I need this now, or in the near future?” If now, I figure out a way to get it, or at least something close to it. These questions have allowed me to let go of the expectations that aren’t realistic during a time of crisis and stay at home orders.

Noodles

I’ve found food to be important for my mental health as well so with NO guilt, I’m eating what makes me feel good (in moderation). What can I say? Noodles are delicious and make me happy. So do nachos, nectarines, and nuts. I make sure to get the healthy stuff in my diet regularly, too, of course. Recognizing how the foods I eat affect my mood and my body has been quite helpful. When I know I feel better after eating a salad than I do after eating a toaster strudel, I make a better, more conscious choice. But, don’t get me wrong, noodles are necessary!

Nowhere

Often these days I feel like I’m going nowhere. I’m sequestered and feel that my freedom has been taken away. What has helped with this is taking a few minutes at the end of each day to write about what I’m grateful for in my journal. It helps me realize that I DO have choice, over many things. And whenever I feel stuck I go outside because nature is beautiful. Soak it in. Recognize it. Revel in the wonder of a night sky. I hope this post has given you something to noodle about (see what I did there?).