A Lesson on Acceptance and Inner Calm

Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash

I am not a calm person. So when I received a call from the CEO saying that he regretfully had to furlough me until further notice, my brain kicked into overdrive.

I suffer from self-diagnosed anxiety and would definitely classify myself as a "Type A". Other key identifiers would be:

• A Leo
• A perfectionist
• Self-criticizing
• Insecure
• Proud
• Stubborn
• Highly motivated

These traits have not served me well in self-isolation. My typical routine upon receiving this type of news is to scour every job site, apply for every available position, and interview my butt off until I found the right position for me.

But that's not how the world is working this year. Two months in and I'm finally starting to receive calls, get responses, and see my job search come to life. The first two weeks? I had a couple interviews, both of which went absolutely nowhere because everyone halted their hiring process. Jobs I would have normally gotten a call back from, radio-silence. Seeing my tried-and-true method fail me filled me with dread, and the days that followed went from being pleasant to downright depressing. I'd never claim to suffer from depression, but there were days where all I felt was angst and existential dread, and ask myself "what's the point" like a broken record.

The first month of that was rough, to say the least. Now, two months later, I can finally say that I've reached my own level of zen. Here are a few things I do regularly to keep myself from spiraling mentally.

1. Have a morning routine.

Here's where having a dog has truly helped me. My mornings typically begin with a walk with him before starting the rest of my day. My father also sent me a matcha kit about a month into self-isolation and taught me how to make it over Facetime, so my mornings now include a homemade matcha latte. Not only has the act of learning something new really helped keep me motivated, but having a few things that I do no matter what grounds me for the day ahead.

2. Follow your gut. 

Some days you're going to want to learn something, do something, apply for jobs, work on a hobby. Other days, you're going to want to do absolutely nothing but Animal Crossing all day (or is that just me?). No matter what it is, just give yourself the mental space to do it. It's okay if the most important thing you do that day is getting out of bed, we're all going through a really mentally traumatic time, sometimes you just need a whole load of nothing to be able to come to grips with that.

3. Pursue your hobbies. 

I've spent so much time in the rat race for the past few years, I've forgotten what it is to have a passion. I've spent time traveling, but there was nothing that I would do just for me on a consistent basis besides Netflix binges and video games. Having uninterrupted hours of me time for weeks on end has allowed me to delve into practices that used to be the norm for me, things like sketching, journaling, language learning, and creative writing are now things I take part in on a daily basis and give me a deep sense of fulfillment by the end of the day.

4. Exercise.

No matter what kind of exercise you prefer, having a regular routine can help keep you in a good mindset. As Elle Woods famously said, "Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't kill their husbands." Help your mental health (and your SO's personal safety, amirite?) by getting your body moving a few times a week. I'd also highly recommend meditating, there are some amazing free ones on YouTube. I'm a big fan of these ones from The Honest Guys.

5. Keep Applying.

Even when I had no response, I have continued to apply for jobs throughout this economic downturn. Some weeks there were more job postings than others, but it kept me from feeling like I was doing absolutely nothing to change my situation. While it's disheartening to see just how quiet the job market was, now that things are picking back up I'm seeing responses to jobs I applied to weeks ago.

6. Stay in Touch.

No time have my friendships been more valuable to me than they have been now. Even though we haven't been able to be physically present, I've talked to my friends more in the last two months than I have in the past year. Your social circle is the anchor that will help keep you tethered to your values and to reality.


While all of these tricks have worked for me over the last couple of months, what will work for you could be something entirely different. Hopefully, this article has given you a few ideas for ways you can achieve your own zen during these scary times. One more note, there is always someone that has it worse off than you do. If you find yourself to help (or to educate yourself on how you can help), I urge you to take the opportunity to do so. A smarter, kinder, and more empathetic world is a better world.

Stay healthy, stay strong!