You're Still You

“Is this who I am now?”

I’ve been hearing people ask this question a lot lately. You may wondering if you’re going to get your motivation back or if the weight you gained over the past year is officially part of you now. You may wondering if this heightened anxiety or feelings of ‘meh’ are here to stay. You may wondering if you’re going to get some healthy habits back or have you officially become one with your couch and Netflix. You may even be wondering if you can still make small talk. Basically, you may be asking the question, “Is this the new me?”

We’ve all been marinating in stress hormones for the past 14 months. We’ve been navigating tremendous challenges, uncertainties and changes in our day to day lives. And, in most cases, we’ve had to create new ways to cope, shop, communicate and work. All of this has a profound impact on our well-being. In fact, you’ll probably recognize many of the symptoms on the Stress Bingo Card.

Let’s be clear. There’s you and there’s the circumstances that you find yourself in today. These are not necessarily the same thing. And, by acknowledging that, we can feel a greater control over how tomorrow shakes out.

First, if you’re reading this, give yourself a huge pat on the back for being here today!

Second, unless you’re over 103 years old, you’ve never done a pandemic before and should not compare your outcome to anyone else’s experience. You’re getting through each day and that’s fantastic!

Third, you are still you! As some of the stress and stress hormones begin to recede, we’re all going to begin to feel more like ourselves and probably even better, more resilient versions of our pre-pandemic selves.

Take some time today to think of what lessons you’ve learned. What do you want to take forward with you? What do you want to leave behind?

And, don’t forget to celebrate you! You’re pretty amazing!