5 Ways To Adapt To Quarantine Changes

If you are like me, (and the rest of the world), you have spent the last 138567 days and counting in quarantine.

In the last few months since I have even touched this blog or wanted to be creative, I have: graduated from college, moved out of my college apartment, gone to my graduate school orientation, and moved back in with my parents.

When I thought about what 2020 would look like, this is not what I had in mind.

As a planner, a Type A personality, a Virgo, etc. I always have a plan. Even when my plans shift a little bit, I have a backup plan. But no one could have prepared for this, or the shifts that come with it.

Personally, what was supposed to be a big cross-country move to Los Angeles, has turned into a cross-country move to my parent's house, redecorating my room, and preparing to attend graduate school virtually, shift. Somehow God has taken every airtight plan I THOUGHT I had, and crumpled it in the trashcan.

So, what do we do when God starts laughing at our plans? We shift.

What seems like major inconveniences and impositions, are actually just adjustments and shifts to bigger plans. And although God has not left me or anyone else with a step-by-step roadmap to the "why"; I am learning every day that shifting your road map, shifting your weight, and reworking your plan isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes, it's a blessing.

While reading scripture, praying, and just trying to adjust to post-grad adulthood, I have compiled five ways to help you adjust to shifting plans and staying rooted in yourself and God throughout quarantine.

1. Rearrange The Space You Are In.

In a society full of vibes and aesthetics, I must admit that an aesthetically pleasing space puts you in the right mindset to open yourself up to change. Sometimes, something as simple as changing your comforter, moving your bed, or creating a space for you to do the things you love, can help you recenter and refocus when everything

else around you seems to be going off balance.

2. Spend Time Focusing On Your Purpose

So many of us focus on the "what". We ask ourselves, "what do we want to do when we graduate, what do we want to be when we grow up, what do we want to eat for breakfast?" But, sometimes we forget to ask ourselves "Why?". During this time, with parts of the world shut down, there is a moment to listen to God in the midst of silence. He usually screams our purpose loudly when there is nothing else left to distract us. The only thing we have to do is perk our ears up and listen. Start asking yourself why you want to do the things you want to do. Ask God to guide you to your purpose. Even if he doesn't do it overnight, you will slowly start to see a shift in your plans and your purpose.

3. Write Down What You Feel. Frustrations, Happiness, Dreams, Goals, etc.

No matter what is going on, there is never a bad time to write out everything you feel, for you. It can be in your phone's note section, in a journal, on a paper towel, on a random piece of paper you see, or anything else. It does not have to be structured, it does not even have to make sense to anyone else but you. Once you release everything you feel, you can start to process your emotions and focus on what makes you happy.

4. Relinquish Control of Situations You Have No Control Over.

You can plan. In fact, I think it's amazing to dream and plan things, but never forget there are so many things beyond our control. I remember New Years' Eve telling myself that 2020 was the year of clarity and vision, and that shifted very quickly. A global pandemic, unexpected deaths, no graduation, job offers canceled, people losing their jobs, the economy failing. When you're planning the best parts of your life, you don't expect some of the worst things to come along. BUT, these are the things that we can never fully control. I know no one wants to hear that, because I hate hearing that myself. However, the best thing we can do is learn to give up control over things we actually have no control over. When you're losing control, that's God's entryway to remind you who the real master is! Let it go, shift your focus, and let Him establish your steps... even if they're wobbly.

5. Talk To God.

This one is self-explanatory but talk to God. He makes his presence known in times of joy and distress. Talk to him about the blessings and the hardships. Talk to him about your fear and your progression. Listen to him in this silence of fear and anxiety. He is waiting to hear from you.

Bonus: Wear A Mask, & Arrest The Cops That Killed Breonna Taylor! - All of this.

I know this time of uncertainty is scary for everyone whether you are just starting college, or you're a mom with 3 kids driving you crazy. This is not what everyone had planned, but when we shift away from a path that we are navigating blindly, it's amazing what awaits us when we take the blindfold off.

Peace & Love, D