Trees don’t bloom all year around, and neither do you.
So somehow, without realizing it, we have found ourselves well into Spring. Swarms of migrating birds are flying in between the buildings and singular swallows are doing their usual dare-devil acrobatics and chirping away. And yet, in the background, there is a different kind of chatter going on, and unfortunately it's not as pleasant as that of the birds outside.
It's the collective chatter of humanity, telling itself for almost two months now to 'Spend this time learning a new skill', or that it has 'No excuse to not train at home', and that 'You should still work for 8 hours per day'.
Which is all fine and dandy. In fact, a part of me even felt compelled to listen to this droning background pressure to perform up to some specific standard. After all, we all have that voice inside of us that insists that we aren't doing enough, that keeps pushing us to do more and more.
And right now, at this point, where the official business attire of most people has been a pair of pyjamas and slippers, this chatter is at its loudest. Because, as many people have disclosed to me, 'it barely feels like I have been working, since I have been in my pyjamas with my feet up all day', and yet everyone, without exceptions, has told me that somehow they have found themselves working more than ever.
Which is also fine! We all need to survive after all, and we are all doing our best to protect what we have built so far.
But don't forget that you are a human being, and that you are more complex and have more layers than just 'employee', 'boss', 'production manager', 'insurance specialist', 'lawyer', and so forth. You are a human being, and what you are going through now is hard, new, uncertain, and worrying.
So if you can't give it your best, that's fine. In fact, it's probably better than fine. It's probably PERFECT. Because you are a human being, and you need to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Throwing all your energy into your work is just a way to distract yourself from the turmoil and confusion that is around you and most likely inside of you. Don't ignore the emotional toll of what you are going through right now, because it will make itself visible, perhaps even in an ugly way, whether you like it or not.
And for those of you who are slowly going back to work and finding themselves trying to build up their routine again, be mindful: what you had before was most likely not a Golden Age. It most likely had its own share of frustrations and hard knocks, and its tempting to gloss over them now that we have taken a step back from our routines for so long. But don't forget that it used to be troublesome, so temper your expectations and don't forget to make getting back into the swing of things a gradual process and to take care of yourself.
So it's spring time, and the almond trees are blooming. At the end of the day, we don't hold the fact that they don't bloom all year around against them. We just take it for granted that they have their season, and we give them the care, space and time that they need to get there.
So give yourself permission to not be at your best right now. You deserve it.
