By Amanda Cronin
One way or another, I am sure that COVID-19 has spoiled everyone's plans. I've seen some funny posts on social media poking fun at the situation, but less face it--dealing with uncertainty can be stressful.
Graduations, birthday, baby, and wedding celebrations have gotten a new twists such as elopements or have a virtual/drive by celebrations. Heck- we even had to make KappaCon 2020 virtual! Things have been crazy and for a planner like myself, it can be challenging sometimes to be strong and not have a breakdown.
Being the Meetings Committee chair and a 2020 bride, I've been faced with lots of hurdles that I had to work through. I think the key to keeping sane during these crazy times is being okay with things not having an exact plan. Now, this is REALLY difficult for me to practice! I want to get ahead of things by setting up plan B and even sometimes C, but the fact of the matter is this is not something I can control. The only thing we can do is create plans that are flexible. Don't be headstrong on things being a certain way. If you need to change things up just to make the actual event happen, do it! For example, while I have always dreamed of my fairy tale-like wedding, I am prepared to find a nice place with my fiance, officiant, and immediate family on my scheduled date to get married.
What these times have taught me is that we all need to take a step back from our on-the-go lifestyles. While I certainly enjoy all of the luxuries of not being confined to my home, such as, parties with friends, family celebrations, and even just spending a solid 2 hours browsing at Home Goods, I've taught myself to appreciate my time at home. I get to spend more time with my fiance, spruce up our home, and even get to explore more of the area I live in on afternoon walks. I know it may be difficult at times to do so. I love my independence, so this is another challenging rule for me. However, when I find myself getting overly emotional about petty things, I have now recognized that I need to just breath. Sometimes I even remove myself from the situation. This has been most helpful at work. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this, but I am busier working from home. Sometimes, I barely have time to take a break. Noticing that this can really impact my emotional well-being, I have now made a more conscious effort to step away from situations and reevaluate after a quick moment to decompress or treat myself to that longer break. At first, I almost felt guilty for doing so, but I now know that I am more productive when I take some time for self-care.
I know that each of us are all dealing with some sort of stress as we coop up into our homes for the well-being of the nation. I encourage you to practice self-care and try to make a negative situation a positive one. Be an ear for a friend, set up virtual get-together, and keep a positive attitude. I know that we can all get through this together as long as we take care of ourselves and listen and support others.
In Kappa,
Amanda Cronin
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