Did you pull back a little – or a lot – during the “pandemic years”?
The past two years were rough for so many of us. It felt like I pulled back into my shell, professionally, in 2020 and 2021. This was due to the pandemic and other family health stuff.
What do I mean by “pulling back”? I mean cutting out extra activities and responsibilities and paring down to the basic necessities. I also mean saying no when people ask you to do extra things.
I cut back on volunteering, being an active member of community organizations and really anything else that wasn’t the bare-bones basics of home/family and my job. I see this as a critical form of self-care and mental wellness.
The basics, for me, included keeping family going, supporting kiddo with distance learning and reintegration into a new school, and starting my own company.
It felt like that was enough for a while. Doing or taking on more felt overwhelming.
I did keep up my writing, too, but writing feels like just a natural expression to me and therefore doesn’t feel like work. I blogged here 3-4 times per week during that time, and I continued contributing stories for Lewis Center Living magazine. But that felt like about all I could manage beyond work and home commitments.
Now, in 2022, I’m finally at a point where I feel like I can – and want to – take on more again. I’m reaching out again, networking, volunteering and doing more. So far, it feels great!
I’m walking more regularly with friends at sunrise – something I’ve always loved doing, but which took a back seat during the Covid years. Then and now, the days when I walk at sunrise are always my most productive.
I’ve also recently embarked on three new-to-me endeavors that I’m pretty excited about. Yes, I’m still running my business and keeping the fam going, along with this blog of course. But now I’m also stretching out a bit by adding things. I’m loving it so far.
I should note that I’m able to do these extra things precisely because I’m working part-time, exclusively from home. If I were still working full-time and commuting to downtown Columbus, there’s no way I could take on this much!
Trevor Project counselor training. Back in February, I applied to become a crisis helpline counselor. Now, I’m thrilled to share that I was accepted into the program and have begun my intensive 10-week training course. I’m so impressed with the content and delivery. I know this training will not only help me become a great crisis counselor for LGBTQ youth, but also a better wife, mom, ally and friend.
Columbus Jewish News. I took on another local writing gig – this time for the Columbus Jewish News. I love any opportunity to learn more about our community, connect with people and help tell great stories. Plus, all the writing that I do is ultimately helping me move toward my dream goal of becoming a published author.
Cinefied.com. Here’s a really fun one: I love writing film and TV reviews here on my blog, so now I’m taking the show on the road by also reviewing for Cinefied.com! It’s an honor to be included on their roster with actual, legit movie reviewers. I’m learning a lot and look forward to sharing monthly reviews.
Have you taken on any additional projects since we all started easing out of pandemic mode? And remember, it’s fine if you haven’t.
This isn’t a contest, and your worth is NOT measured by productivity. If we learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that doing less is better sometimes! I’m simply curious to find out if others are having a similar experience in these post-Covid times.
