During quarantine, we have no expectations, yet we have all the pressure. We have little control, but we still have our choices. We have the romanticized idea of productivity and achievement, still we know we deserve a slower pace.
My hope is that we can find balance. While reading Glennon Doyle’s book, Untamed, she reminisces about the Staples commercial where the employees hit the EASY button whenever an office problem occurs. It really made me reflect on our current situation. All of the unknown and loss of control is scary and uncomfortable, so we find coping strategies that give us an easy out. It’s human nature.
We know we shouldn’t always hit that button, but the bold, capitalized letters are literally screaming our names. And once we take both hands and press down on that button as hard as we can, we usually end up feeling worse off when than before. We realize it’s only a temporary rush, but we still crave it.
When we reach for the button, we are subconsciously asking- what can I do, right now, with little effort, to feel better? But what’s the alternative to pressing the easy button? What would happen if we chose the reset button instead? What would that look like? Online shopping vs. journaling. Binge watching vs. having hard conversations, entering a carb coma vs. checking in with your feelings, mindlessly scrolling vs. getting your body in motion.
These comparisons are NOT to say that any of those options are bad. Full disclosure, I’m currently writing this with orange stained fingertips from the beautifully strange pairing of cheese puffs and red wine I am enjoying. I just want us to bring awareness to our actions. To avoid abandoning ourselves. To find balance.
If you are tempted to hit the easy button, pause and think about what other options might make you feel better in the long run. And make sure the ease of pushing the button for instant gratification doesn’t allow it to become the norm.