When I started self-isolation I felt it was going to be a great time of solitude and to get some writing done. It was going to be a time of inspiration to keep me busy.
There I was, chugging along on something until I had gotten to a point where I felt I had completed what I needed at the time when … huh? What next? I’d planned to start work on a new project but found myself washing floors instead.
I began to think about things that brought up strong emotions that ate at me for two days.
The thing is, it’s not about who or what is involved and what anyone is doing including myself, nor how I handle my response to a situation. It’s not even what I think about the situation. The real problem is that I’m thinking too much and it would be better if I didn’t think about it at all.
As much as I love being alone it can be challenging at times. During these tough times, being alone can have me look at myself and my life in unusual ways. My mind can make up stories that run amuck to a place of fear and illusion. Well, not so unusual but in a heightened state that brings new ways of looking at it.
At the start of my isolation I felt I was in charge of what I did with my time – in some respects.
Nevertheless, this pandemic has prepared me for this: the isolation, the solitude, being a minimalist, writing, reading, meditating, yoga, cooking and baking, walking, cleaning, self-reflecting…
The best is to let things be because I have no idea what’s next. I need to never mind.
It’s not in the doing
What is helpful is to not put pressure on busying myself and thinking I need to always be doing something. It’s not in the doing. It’s about letting go of distracting thoughts causing emotions that are not serving my purpose.
The expectations I had of myself and others had me on a downward spiral into a pool of sludge that had no purpose for me – except to swallow me whole. I needed to pull myself out. And I did. I did it by having compassion for myself and taking the mind off things I cannot control.
When I feel something, I go into it and feel it fully. At the same time I remember not to get involved by overthinking. I can drive myself crazy by too much involvement in thought.
In this unusual time I feel a call to remember to let go of the pressure of doing and embrace being. This is a great spiritual practice – to be fully in the NOW. This is surrender.
Now I’m finding that by practicing never mind, I have started on the said project and new ideas are coming to me.
Thinking too much about stuff I cannot control causes suffering that is very distracting. All that is, is what it is. The real power I have over any of it is to never mind.
Maybe now I can get some work done.
Julie A. Vermette 
Well said! (I’m just wishing I had less work so I have time to “never mind”!)
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Thank you, Norma! We all need time to “never mind!” Steal even fifteen minutes when you can, and while you are working you can still “never mind.” When you are eating, walking, or anything, you can never mind. Good practice. Cheers. J
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