We reevaluate how we spend our days to find happiness
We’ve been socially distancing for a year now, wearing masks, staying home, and all of our meetings are via Zoom. Despite our best efforts and best intentions, most of us are struggling with pandemic fatigue. We are bored and find ourselves doing the same things over and over again without much joy. This wears away at our sense of happiness and well-being.
It may be time to take a step back and re-evaluate how we spend our days.
Let’s start by examining the usual sources of well-being in our lives. Happiness and well-being tend to be linked to our natural human needs in several areas of our lives:
- Activities that provide some challenge or learning
- Physical activity
- Social support and relationships
- Fun and enjoyable activities
- Activities that foster personal expression and creativity
- Activities that give meaning or purpose to our lives
If one or two of these go away, we can get away with it, but if many of these are reduced or eliminated , we become bored, discouraged, and even depressed. Take some time to evaluate your week and identify which areas are fulfilled and which are not.
1. Challenging or learning activities:
There are many possible activities that fall into this category. Did you read anything challenging? Have you tried a new and complex recipe? Have you learned to play an instrument? Have you built anything? Have you tried a new hobby?
What did you do last week that challenged you or led you to learn something new? The more the activity has truly engrossed your mind, the more useful it is likely to be. What can you do next week to fill the learning need?
2. Physical activity
Stay-at-home recommendations and social distancing can make it more challenging, but it’s still essential. If you live in a place with a warmer climate, go outside, walk, jog or ride a bike. Finding something to move you around will improve your mental well-being. There are still activities you can do if the weather is cold or rainy. You can join an online exercise class or even invest in a used treadmill or stationary bike.
Analyze what you did last week to meet your need for physical activity. What can you do next week?
We also cannot forget about self-care. Was your diet healthy? Do you sleep regularly? If not, take the time to reevaluate how you can best incorporate self-care and physical activity into your weekly routine.
3. Social Support And Relationships:
Social interaction is hugely influential on our mental health. Since the pandemic has taken away our traditions of vacationing, partying, and even coffee breaks at work, finding ways to maintain social support and relationships must be prioritized. Who did you talk to or hang out with last week? Has “zoom fatigue” led you to spend less time interacting with others? Who did you talk to on the phone or have good conversations with?
Think about how this need was met last week and what more you could do next week. Who could you call?
4. Make time for fun:
For those who still work from home, it can be difficult to switch off when the day is over. However, boundaries are important, and making time for activities we find enjoyable will help our overall mental well-being.
What did you do last week that was fun and enjoyable? Did you play any games? Did you watch a funny movie? What made you laugh? What could you do next week to fill this need?
5. Activities that foster self-expression and creativity:
This can include a wide range of activities, such as art, music, writing, woodworking, sewing, needlework, cooking or even rearranging furniture.
Find things to do that exercise the creative side of your brain. What did you do last week that engaged your creativity? What can you do next week that involves creative expression?
6. Activities that give meaning or purpose to your life:
Most often, people associate them with religious or spiritual activities. While religion is certainly a major source of meaning for many, people can also find meaning by engaging in causes they believe in, such as animal rights, environmentalism, helping the homeless, or helping children with their homework.
What have you done in the last week to meet this need? What is a cause important to you and how can you get involved? What could you do next week to fill this need?
The pandemic has certainly made it more difficult to cultivate our sense of well-being. Many of our pre-pandemic activities have declined and it takes more planning and effort to find replacement activities and meet our emotional and physical needs. Taking the time to plan alternatives and accomplish new tasks can improve our sense of peace and happiness during a difficult time.