Hey, friends!

I was looking through some things to post, and I remember saving this picture from @femalecollective on Instagram that read:

And it, of course, made me think of all the messages of hope, healing, encouragement, and motivation that are being recycled over and over to remind us of how we should try to feel in these times. With everything closing and shutting down, some of us actually losing our jobs, we’re being forced to stay put, to actually slow down. And many of us are feeling guilty, and being really hard on ourselves for just sitting around when we have this time to possibly work on things we always said we’d work on if we had the time.

I feel like the guilt we feel by not doing anything roots in how we as a country have been raised. The “if you don’t work, you don’t eat” mentality, which is true…working creates provision for the things we need and want.

But when most of us are forced to not work, yet we still have bills to pay, people to feed, products we need to maintain our lives and the lives of those that we love, then we feel guilty for lying around and starting our fourth Netflix series since we’re told to stay home. We can only do so much to find place of work that is still open and still hiring. And we can start the personal business we always wanted to, but we we know that that will still take some time to take off.

We feel ashamed for simply sitting around, waiting to hear what our government is saying about the situation we’re in. We become anxious if we’re not guaranteed a workplace to go back to, and we can’t even go out to try to find a new one to go back to whenever the Lord decides to allow things to go back to normal.

I know the theme of “rest” has been a prominent one throughout this season, and I know maybe it’s getting a little strung out. But it’s so true and so important; just like being gentle with ourselves is important. Stop feeling guilty for deciding to just chill out today, tomorrow, the next day. Allow yourself some time away from the busyness and distractions you normally had, and just breathe.

Think of how everyone and everything in the world is finally slowing down enough to maybe realize the addiction we had to being busy. I know before all of this change started, if someone were to ask me how I was doing, I’d say two things: “I’m good, just busy.” And now, “busy” really isn’t an option for an answer. But “I’m feeling rested now is.” “I’m doing my best to feel my best in these times” is another option. An even better one? “I’m just learning how to keep trusting God with everything right now.” WHEW!

So, as the Female Collective has reminded us: “Remember to be gentle with yourself.” You can be productive today. You can relax today. You can decide to be productive, but end up just relaxing today. You can be a little anxious…it’s okay to admit that you are, no one’s going to beat you up over it. And even though a lot of encouragement and motivation is telling you not to be this way, don’t feel bad for feeling that way. Feel every emotion in its fullness, pray about it, and let it pass.

my first blog quarantine template.

Welcome to my first blog quarantine template!

There have been plenty of templates being passed around social media, mainly ones on Instagram stories, or even game templates on Facebook statuses. So, I figured it would be easiest for me to make my own so it’s quick and easy for y’all to read (and, if you feel like telling me your own answers to these things, you can tell me in the comments below!).

I’ll do this every day, but I’ll also write about something else too! That way my blog isn’t just spammed with constant quarantine updates for days on end.

In Today’s Quarantine…

• What I’m Watching: Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
• What I’m Listening To: The Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series, Season 3 album (preparing for season 4, whenever it drops!)
• Games I’ve Played: Mostly Brawlhalla with my boyfriend and his friends online
• Something I Feel Good About: The beautiful sunshine and spring weather we FINALLY have here in Chattanooga!
• Something I Feel Bad About: Maybe not checking in with my kiddos from school too much? It’s honestly kind of hard for me to figure out exactly what to give to my parents when these kids are just learning the basics…letters, numbers, colors, you know?
• What I’ve Mainly Been Thinking On: My next poetry project / writing poetry, period. Just been trying to let myself feel things in the moment. Have a lot of voices going through my head about so many things Also, just trying to enjoy silence while I can.
• What I Worked on Today: This blog,
• Workout Sesh?: Yes! Day one back at it!

How do you truly feel right now? Are you practicing being gentle with yourself in this time? What are some ways you could learn how to be more gentle with yourself, and even with others? What are the answers to your personal quarantine template?

Mishy 🦋💚