Social Distancing Sucks.

I do. Like, fifty. SOMEONE PLEASE HUG ME.

Social distancing sucks. It sucks it sucks it sucks it sucks. IT SUCKS.

I am O-V-E-R it.

I am physically tired, despite, physically, doing so much less. My body is feeling the effects of isolation and stress. My appetite has changed. I am having difficulty sleeping. I am finding myself less motivated. My brain is filled to the brim with concern for my clients, my friends, my family. . . my pets!

I would like to put on some damn pants and leave the house!

The fun thing is, I understand why I am feeling this way. I am, after all, not only a trained counselor but someone who has extensive training in trauma, stress, and the effects of fear on the body. I understand that what my body and brain are experiencing is an extended period in the fight/flight/freeze response. That that response means my digestive system will be off (you don’t need to digest breakfast if you are running away from a bear), that I will be more alert and have trouble sleeping—that having trouble focusing is a normal part of all of this.

And I know—and use—the skills and steps to take to be “okay” again. I am practicing square breathing, grounding techniques, maintaining a routine. . . yet, guess what?

Social distancing still sucks! This is -still- hard.

. . . maybe that’s okay!

What is the alternative? If it is not okay to -not- be okay, then man. . . I imagine we’d all feel shame for feeling bad. We’d question, “what is wrong with me that I can’t just get over this?” We’d feel pressure to put on a happy face, to hide our anxieties and our struggles. Which, if we’re hiding things, likely leads to feeling more isolated, more alone, more frustrated and sad. Ahh! What a cycle!

The reality is that accepting our negative feelings—sharing them and owning them—actually can lead to us feeling way better than pretending like they don’t exist. We may feel less alone. We may feel less shame. Feeling bad and talking about it may actually make us feel good again.

What a crazy idea!

So, maybe you’re like me. You feel like social distancing SUCKS. Maybe you are also just looking for someone to yell into the universe with about how awful all of this is—without feeling the pressure to also express gratitude for what we do have.

HELLO! Hi! Lets yell together!

As my mom said this week, “this is the shits. Make sure you have toilet paper.” It is the shits. And thats okay.