This Pandemic; let's talk about it.

Let’s just call it how it is, this pandemic has been difficult (for all of us). I read an article not long ago that summarized my feelings on this whole last year and a half perfectly so I figured it was worth sharing in this journal.

“There’s a legit reason you feel like absolute sh*t right now. You might be feeling a little over it. The psychological reason for this has something to do with ‘surge capacity’. What is ‘surge capacity’? It’s a collection of adaptive systems - mental and physical - that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters. The issue is that our surge capacity only allows us to adapt to major disasters if they are temporary. However, in this pandemic, this disaster stretches out indefinitely. The emergency phase has now become chronic. So because this is going on, and on and on, your surge capacity is depleted and it needs to be renewed.

Things you can do to feel better: Accept that life is different right now. Expect less from yourself. Recognize the different aspects of grief. Look for activities, new and old, that continue to fulfill you. Focus on maintaining and strengthening important relationships. Build regular practices into your life that promote resilience such as better sleep, good nutrition, exercise, meditation, self-compassion and saying no.”

-Mamamia

So, in that spirit I took this last few months away from my socials and focused on the things that brought me joy. For me, photography has been the biggest blessing throughout this pandemic. Photographing people, their love, families, weddings… it takes me out of my reality and gives me something to put all my heart and soul into. Remember that it’s okay to feel lost and sad, even depleted. You can’t fill from an empty cup so make sure you are putting yourself first and filling your’s to the brim at every chance you can!

While I’ve been gone doing exactly that, here are some of the special moments that you’ve missed.