Professional Dancer - Tutu - Dance Photographer

Reminder: Give Yourself Grace

Life is looking different for students, parents, teachers, dancers, business owners, i.e. just about everyone right now due to the impacts of COVID-19. I hope that anyone reading this is staying healthy & sane (as well as your family & friends) during all of the happenings as we attempt to navigate what’s going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My personal life is pretty normal, I already work from home, I just moved to Colorado & have still been able to explore the mountains and parks in the area, and I honestly don’t have too much human contact on a day to day basis (whether that’s good or bad, I still don’t know haha!). But this is taking a small toll on my business & my emotional well-being, as I know is true for many people. Knowing that I can’t leave for non-necessary things, makes me want to leave even more than normal, you know what I mean?! I think that we are all in a ‘stir crazy’ mood right now & I’ve been trying to think of a good way to address everything I’m dealing with as I know others are too.

I have been seeing a lot of posts about how people are adapting their schedules to incorporate their regular routines into their homes, and although this makes me happy to see people’s motivation I also fear the pressure that it may be putting on others. I wanted to provide my two cents on the matter and give you a few things to keep in mind during this time.

This is an unexpectedly tough time for many.

Below are a few reminders to give yourself grace during all of the unexpected:

1. You are allowed to use this time to take a break, heal your body, and rest

The world is literally telling you to ‘slow down’ right now. You are allowed to accept this new reality & rest. Don’t give up everything, but take a break, read a book, color a picture, put a puzzle together. Do the things that you haven’t had time for in the past because you’ve been so busy running around from one place to the next. You aren’t allowed to go anywhere, so you now have no excuse to not take some downtime for yourself. Don’t feel the pressure from everyone else to push beyond your limits! Remember to give yourself grace.

2. Your body may be changing now that you are out of your routine: that is okay

A dance friend of mine shared this image on her Instagram and it made me think ‘woah, so much yes.’ Whether you’re a dancer, a gym goer, or simply are used to leaving the house more & walking more, you are likely dealing with this struggle. 

Gyms & studios are closed which has changed up a lot of people’s routines. You may be finding yourself adjusting your routines, such as in-home workouts, or ballet barre, but there are still limitations without the usual machines & space to move, jump, etc. Or you may be taking a break or some days lack the motivation to keep up with these sort of adjusted routines (personally dealing with this right now). No matter what the circumstances may be, things are different. Although it is always important to keep your body moving & provide fuel with the right types of foods, expect (and try to accept) that changes may occur. This isn’t to say ‘give everything up because my body can be changing right now’, but is simply a reminder that it may be happening, and to an extent: that is okay & expected given the circumstances. Remember to give yourself grace.

3. Just because the other mom/dancer/neighbor is doing it doesn’t mean you need to too

I have taken no more than 3-5 ballet classes over the last 3 years but seeing everyone posting their in-home ballet zoom/live

classes is leading to pressure for myself to do the same. How crazy is that?! I know that many others are feeling similar things simply due to social media exposure (I even did a poll on my own account and those results are here). You can browse any type of social media account and you will see those who are going above & beyond and posting every last thing. Although this is great for them, and can be seen as motivation at times, it can also lead to pressure (as well as exhaustion on the ‘posters’ part).

You may see that your neighbor has created a school schedule for their son down to the minute, yet you are simply celebrating that you made it to the end of another day. Or your classmate might be posting their time-lapse ballet barre every. single. day, which is leading to anxiety that ‘you aren’t doing enough.’ Comparison is the thief of joy. Remember to Give. Yourself. Grace!

4. You don’t need to open every business guide, work from home solutions, or live class updates that you receive

If you’re exhausted from all of the resources or pressure to come out on the other side of this pandemic as a better *insert whatever here*, remember that these are supposed to be helpful & not stressful. If you’re overwhelmed, don’t open the next one you receive, or possibly set it aside for a different day. Do what feels right for you right now & remember to give yourself grace.

 

 

All I can really say on this topic: give yourself grace! I can’t stress it enough. The way that things are progressing isn’t making it sound like things will be easier any time soon. We don’t know how long this could last, and the worst thing we can do is get down on ourselves every day simply due to comparison and the anxiety it is creating. Again, this is not to say that you should give everything up, eat brownies for 3 meals a day, and stop working towards any goal. This is simply to say that there are ways to live that don’t need to be only feeling pressure from those around us. Some days can be relaxed days, and some days can be motivated days, but every day should count towards your well being!

 

What did you do for yourself today? – Think this at the end of every day & you will realize if you are (or are not) feeding your soul & creating happiness through this crazy time.

 

Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.” ― Elizabeth Edwards

Talk to you soon friends!
 
~Ashley
 

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