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[metaritual]

21 Days to Thriving During the Quarantine

Many of us are facing an unprecedented situation in our lives.  Our response systems have no basis for familiarity for the emotional mix our bodies are currently subjected to and this can result in a mix of defense responses, which often leave us even more confused. Here are some of my quarantine practices,  which focus on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.  I hope they help you to make the best of any situation:

Day One -  I will create and maintain a routine

One of the first pieces of my day to deteriorate, if left unchecked, is my waking and sleeping schedule.  My general mood is easily affected by too little or too much sleep which is why keeping a fairly regimented sleep schedule is important and my daily schedule has been affected due to changes in work/routines. So this is why I am establishing a new one. 

Having set times for meals, work, recreation, & relaxing will help to feel more in control of life and keep from functioning in a state of reaction. Some of us will find ourselves with a lot of down time, while others may be working at home while our children need home schooling.  Either way, a routine will help manage whatever situation we find ourselves in. 

Affirmation: I am choosing to be proactive about my own personal schedule and the schedule of those that I care for. Day Two - I will dress for the day I hope to have

I am getting dressed everyday as I normally would. This can mean different things for different people, but I am reserving pajamas for normal pajama time.  Dress for the day you hope to have.  Lazy days are important to plan, but if I dress for a lazy day every day, I will have more lazy days than I want.

Affirmation: Every morning is as I make it; I shower, brush my teeth, etc., and I make time for self care rituals (like baths). Day Three - I will go outside

Part of my daily schedule is to try to get outside everyday and breaking the monotony of the house is a welcome change; moving is healthy. While busier neighborhoods will be crowded during certain times, make sure to include this in your daily schedule.  

Affirmation: If leaving the house is not an option, open the windows, let the fresh air in. Day Four - I will exercise

Personally, I aim for a minimum of 2-3 workouts per week.  If exercise is new to you, be careful not to overdo it.  There are lots of free workout tutorials on YouTube and other resources to follow when starting a workout regimine. Walking/jogging/running is still allowed, just be mindful of the physical distancing protocol.

Affirmation: I will move my body in a positive and strengthening movement that is meaningful for me. Day Five - I will connect to others

While I am making an effort every day to reach out to 3 different people via phone or social media, it is important to connect (or reconnect) with others you have lost touch with. Some of these people are close acquaintances and some I have lost close contact with but now is an ideal time to do it. If you care for others, consider their connection needs as well.  Facetime, Skype, Zoom, etc. are all wonderful platforms to use to have some face to face time with friends and family.

Affirmation: Today I will reach out to ___ different people.  Day Six -  I will be mindful of my eating habits

I have found myself overeating lately. Most likely in a  trauma response to this stressful situation.  Maintaining healthy diet, water intake, and taking my vitamins is part of my daily routine and even though I’m lucky enough my wife loves to cook, it has been a struggle. So she has been experimenting with new recipes regularly to induce curiosity in our lives.  Cooking for some can be a form of self care, and right now is a great opportunity to explore recipes!

Affirmation: Today I will cook something nourishing for my body, mind, and spirit. Day Seven -  I will practice self care

This is a big topic and means a lot of different things to different people.  How do you self soothe, or calm down to relax? Baths, music, meditation, journaling, inspirational books or podcasts… all of these can be paths to self-care. I have found that familiar tastes, smells, sounds, sights, and sensations are all paths to centering and calming myself.  Having some self care items on hand that speaks to your situation is a huge help.  In addition, talking to my partner and any other co-inhabitants about my self care routines and rituals has proven just as important.  This communication allows us to support each other in caring for ourselves.

Affirmation: Today I will communicate how I need to be validated in self-care rituals.  Day Eight - I will spend time with children

If you have kids in your life, now is a great time to make more time for them.  Many children may be confused or unsure about what is happening and they will respond to your attention at this crisis and stress-filled time. Talk to the kids in your life about how they are feeling. Ask and encourage communication and playtime. Personally, I would think it therapeutic for the adult as much as the child.

Affirmation: Today I will reach out to a child in my life and see what is speaking deeply in their lives at this moment. Day Nine -  I will avoid assumptions

For some, this situation is causing extreme emotional and mental health swings.  Mood swings coupled with stay-at-home orders adds to the media frenzy. This is creating a lot of stress, anxiety, anger, and frustration throughout our society and interpersonal circles. I find myself focusing on compassion, understanding, and forgiveness whenever possible.I will not allow arguments over politics or conspiracies dictate the tone of my personal emotional and mental space especially when responding to those who are interacting with me during this time. 

Affirmation: I will not allow my personal beliefs interfere with my ability to be compassionate with others.  Day Ten -  I will create a personal space

Everyone will have a unique take and need when it comes to this topic.  Designing my own work and sacred space has been incredibly useful. Not only in making my home a space for both creation, but also, calm.  I have seen some kids (and some adults) creating "forts" in the house.  Thinking back when I was a child, a fort was a super safe space to play and be creative.  Make the best use of the space you have, and try to make sure everyone has a space they can either share for alone time, or a space to call their own.

Affirmation: Today I will create a space to be productive and a place to be creative in my unique way.  Day Eleven - I will limit my use of social media

My Facebook feed is a snake pit... right now.  Between political disagreements, conspiracy theorists, and news media vying for my interest with their best possible headline, I am under constant attack.  But only if I choose to.  When I do look at my feed, I have been trying to comfort those who are expressing their personal struggle and being a positive light to those who need it. I also keep my eye out for the helpers and acknowledge their efforts.  Social media is a new kind of community, and just like the local community I live in, I can choose what kind of neighbor I want to be.. On or off line.  Remember that some of your loved ones (including children) may be super sensitive when exposed to discussion of the world pandemic, so be mindful of when the conversation comes up. What has helped my well-being improvement is intentionally limiting my social media intake.  I have also been making the effort to write posts about how I am managing my emotional and spiritual help, to which I have received a lot of great feedback!

Affirmation: Today I will cultivate an online community of compassion and helpfulness to aid in the reconstruction of humanitarianism.  Day Twelve - I will shop local

The bigger companies will have a better chance of surviving so this is why you should support your local businesses where and when you can.  If you are in a position to donate or buy a gift card, go for it! These small purchases go a LONG way with the smaller business ventures in your immediate area.

Affirmation: Today I will support a local community member to build their business and morale in the best way I know how.  Day Thirteen - I will check in on those in need

During this pandemic, some may be unable or afraid to leave their homes. In either case, they still need supplies. Find those people in your life or community to check in and offer to help. If you are one of those people that need help, let us know!  Many of us want to help, we just don’t know HOW to.  Helping each other and asking for help is how we build a strong community.

Affirmation: Today I will check in with my community to see where I can provide help the best way I know how. Day Fourteen -  I will only control what I can

Situations like this remind me of my powerlessness and need to let go of control.  I let go of control by taking power over what I do control.  This list is pretty short - my actions, my thoughts, my feelings.  

An easy way to take control of my environment is to clean, organize, and rethink my space. So in essence, we all have closets, cupboards and spaces that could use some attention… and spring is here. Spring cleaning gives us a sense of control in a situation that showcases our powerlessness.  Exercising control can be very grounding and centering… peaceful. Like in the same peace from laundry, dishes, and other simple house chores.  Taking control of my space is an empowering way to find peace in uncertainty.

Affirmation: Today I will control my immediate surroundings to cultivate it into a productive and cleansing place I need it to be.  Day Fifteen - I will make a goal list

Short term goals, long term goals.. For those of us that are waiting, this is a good time to reflect on where we have been and where we are going.  For those of us whose lives got busier and more complicated, a list of vacation spots or things to do when we get some time off will keep us focused.

Affirmation: Today I will create my ultimate vacation and relaxation spot to reflect on my accomplishments and positive outcomes. Day Sixteen -  I will find time for hobbies & creating

I don't know how many times I have said, "I wish I could spend more time on that." Many of us are now presented with that “time.”  Reading, writing, music, art, exercise, projects, crafts… the list is endless.  Try some new things. I am hoping to discover some passions I never knew I had!

Affirmation: Today I will try something new I wish I could have tried in the past! Day Seventeen -  I will laugh & smile

This is a wonderful time to be goofy, dance like nobody's watching (even if they are). Watch a comedy show, listen to a funny podcast, whatever it is, just smile and laugh.  Laughter is healing and smiling is infectious.

Affirmation: Today I will find something to laugh about… even if it is me Day Eighteen -  I will seek the help of a professional

Times are changing and therapists are moving to virtual sessions. This may be a good time to start the therapy you were considering, or pick up where you left off.  I have maintained my normal therapeutic routines. While this may include medications & doctor checkups (if possible), be sure to consider the needs of those you care for on this topic as well!

Affirmation: Today I choose to invest time in my own well-being.  Day Nineteen -  I will live my life one moment at a time

I live my life in the present as much as I am able and try to focus on "a day at a time.” Often, I need to focus on a much smaller segment rather than an entire day.  When I break my day into segments and keep my focus there, my mental and emotional health are less likely to become affected.  This allows me to look back into the past to prevent me from finding blame and/or projecting about what the future holds.  

The only truth we have in all of these conversations is right now. As the information continues to be presented, we will all have a better grasp on what exactly happened, and where we are likely headed. But today... I need to focus on today.

Affirmation: Today… I will focus on this present moment.  I will bring my attention to the moment. Day Twenty -  I will stay present

Staying present in an ever-changing world is often one met with a lot of resistance. Though we try our hardest, our minds can wander into the future which leads us into anxiety. Or worse, our minds can wander into the past, which can lead into depression.

Affirmation: Today...I will observe the present moment. What is around me? What do I see? What am I feeling? What do I smell? What can I touch? These will all lead me to the present moment. Day Twenty One - I will find the silver lining

“Stay Gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” Gold is the hardest hue to hold in nature and while JohnnyBoy said it right in “The Outsiders,” he meant it. There is ALWAYS a positive, no matter what situation you find yourself in. Look for the silver lining in everything and I promise it will lead to beauty unknown.  I find myself noticing the helpers, and having a new found gratitude for humanity.  I see myself helping others, and I am grateful for the capacity to help.  I see myself taking care of my needs and the needs of those I care about.  I see my community working together, and finding our way to the other side of this complicated time.  I enjoy my downtime.  I find a new stillness, a new quiet place, and I learn more about myself than I ever dreamt I could.

Affirmation: Today I choose to look for beauty.

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[levileyla]

Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us, Simon Critchley:

“1. Tragedy is an invention: at once political, literary, and anthropological, namely taking place at the level of subjectivity. If we are compelled by the moment of Attic tragedy, which combines the three elements of its invention, then the etiological question of its birth or origin is the wrong question to ask.

2. Tragedy is not the expression of a religiously legitimized ritual. It is rather a metaritual or an institution premised upon a temporal disjunction, specifically the disjunction of past and present. The time of tragedy, ancient and modern, is always out of joint.

3. Tragedy is self-consciously anachronistic; it disrupts the order of historical time, even as it feeds from a bedrock of what is perceived as historical reality. That bedrock is not sufficient for tragedy, but it is necessary.

4. Tragedy is the self-consciousness of fictionality, where the deceiver is more honest than the non-deceiver, and the deceived is wiser than the nondeceived---this is Gorgias’ insight. The lie of tragedy is its truth.

5. The subject of tragedy is not the tragic hero---and emotional identification with character is not the alpha and omega of tragedy---but the city-state, or polis, specifically the city-state in its novel litigious antagonism, in its breakage with the past in the form of myth and in the discourses of law and reason. 

6. Very importantly, tragedy is the experience of moral ambiguity. The right is always on both sides and invariably also wrong. Justice is conflict, which also means that justice is divided. Justice is not one, but at least two. This can be found everywhere in tragedy, but it is most obviously evident in the Oresteia.

7. Tragedy is gender trouble. It is the travesty of the politics of sexual difference at the core of the political order. Tragedy queers norms. But the effect of that queering is deeply uncertain.

8. The tragic coupling of the human and the divine that is all over tragedy is not some premodern remnant, some supernatural or superstitious residue, and it is not to be explained through an evolutionary narrative that culminates in the achievement of autonomy where we legislate for ourselves.

9. The significance of tragedy cannot be explained away through some either progressivist philosophy of history (Hegel, Marx) or through a regressivist conception (Nietzsche, Heidegger).

10. Tragedy reveals a world only partially intelligible to human agency, where autonomy is necessarily limited by the acknowledgement of dependency. This is one way of understanding Aristotle’s theme of hamartia, not as a tragic flaw but as a basic experience of human fallibility and ontological limitedness. The belief in autonomy is the moment of hybris that precedes tragic ruination, or ate. 

11. The tragic hero is a problem, not the solution to a problem. The hero is a riddle, not the solution to a riddle. The human being is both an agent and the one acted upon, both innocent and guilty---something baffling, incomprehensible, and monstrous.

12. As Euripides---for Aristotle, ‘the most tragic’ (tragikotatos) of the tragic poets---arguably shows most powerfully, the mood of ancient tragedy is skeptical, it is about the dissolution of all the markers of certitude that finds expression in the repeated question ‘What shall I do?’ Such questions are not the beginning of an experience of rational argumentation, but reason’s terminus. This skeptical mood is also common in modern tragedy, most obviously in Shakespeare, which implies that the distinction between ancient and modern tragedy, and, consequently, antiquity and modernity, is not as secure and stable as one might imagine or wish. Tragedy means giving up any theology or metaphysics of history based on the distinction of ancients and moderns.” (33-5)