Roots, Not Flowers: Life Transitions in 2021

By: Paula Huber

Roots, not flowers. This seems to be the place I am in most of these days, especially since the beginning of COVID-19. This place is particularly challenging when also facing a major life transition, such as graduating a master’s program, moving, beginning a new relationship, et cetera. I am feeling very meh about the major life transition of my upcoming graduation. Have I worked harder than ever before? Yes. Am I leaving an internship and clients whom I love and would prefer not to leave? Yes. Do I deserve to walk across the stage during the graduation ceremony and celebrate my accomplishments? Yes. But the wall of exhaustion feels overwhelming. The mist of numb is clouding my emotions, but I know they will come eventually. For now, I am just feeling done.

These thoughts and feelings are not something I alone have experienced. The theme of being overwhelmed, numb, or just “done” has been persistent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and one that is echoed with many of my friends and colleagues. COVID-19 has brought a “pervasive sense of being unsettled and losing control” (Settersten et al., 2020).

 

“I’m so excited, I got engaged! The ring is beautiful! But, how are we going to have a wedding?”

“I got the vaccine, but it still doesn’t seem safe to go places. I’ve been dating this guy for awhile but we’ve literally only been on 2 real dates. We basically stay home. What if he’s a different person in public?”

 

These are things I hear from friends and colleagues often; the burst of excitement for an upcoming transition or a new point in their lives, and then the quiet anxiety of COVID-19 and incorporating it into their lives. The racial and social unrest in America compounded with the pandemic is emotionally exhausting and devastating to minority communities across the country. Murder of people of color at the hands of law enforcement is traumatizing, emotionally devastating, and draining for many of us.

 

So, what do we do? What do we do when we have no control over a pandemic, when we are faced with constant racial injustices, and when life does not stop? Is this burn out? Maybe, but there are options.

 

Research has shown that COVID-19, racial injustices, and other environmental factors have increased the need for self-care, but that aside, it has always been very important. And I know you may be rolling your eyes and thinking: “Okay, enough with this BS self-care. I am tired of hearing about it, yes I know I need to relax and yes a bubble bath would help, but when would I find the time and energy to do that?”

 

I am with you.

 

The commercialization of self-care has been detrimental in many ways. Bubble baths and mimosas are not always the solution. Sometimes they are, but that is not at the root of self-care. Self-care is filling up your cup, so you can be the best version of yourself.

I tend to break self-care into two categories. Luxury self-care, and functional self-care. Luxury self-care are bubble-baths, mimosas, treating myself to that thing that has sat in my Amazon cart for weeks. Functional self-care are the things I try do day-to-day to maintain my sanity and be the best version of me. Things such as; staying hydrated, taking my medicines, setting (and maintaining) boundaries, ensuring I spend time with my loved ones, going to regular therapy appointments and giving myself space to feel my emotions.

To me, this is the more imperative version of self-care. The luxury self-care are things that are important, don’t get me wrong. They are things that bring me joy and are incorporated into my life regularly. Functional self-care, however, is what keeps me functioning on a daily basis.

 

 

With this in mind, I am upping my levels of self-care. I am allowing myself to grow roots, not just flowers. I hope you do too, friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Flow chart credit: https://soundgirls.org/self-care-develop-a-routine-that-works-for-you/

Settersten, R. A., Bernardi, L., Härkönen, J., Antonucci, T. C., Dykstra, P. A., Heckhausen, J., … Thomson, E. (2020). Understanding the effects of Covid-19 through a life course lens. Advances in Life Course Research, 45, 100360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcr.2020.100360

157 thoughts on “Roots, Not Flowers: Life Transitions in 2021

  1. Here’s a couple important points to keep in mind. Their experience may be true but that does not mean it is true for everyone and there could be other reasons that contributed to their experience. therapies

  2. Thank you for the helpful tips! I would never have gotten this on my own! Is it alright to reference part of this on my website basically include a backlink to this webpage? 안전놀이터

  3. I was very satisfied with the article and content. Please tell me more good articles in the future. I am willing to visit anytime. 은꼴thank you.

  4. Thank you so much for sharing this information, this will surely help me in my work and therefore, I would like to tell you that very few people can write in a manner where the reader understands just by reading the article once. https://www.casinosite777.top/

  5. I had to write you the little bit of phrase for you to thanks a lot once more approximately the first-rate pointers you’ve contributed in this site;)토토추천

  6. What do you think of Russia? I don’t like it very much I hope Japan sinks soon I’ll just ask once and then I’ll come back to talk hahahaha레플리카시계 and I felt responsible for receiving this warm energy and sharing it with many people

  7. Hello. Thank you Bye. See you again Hello. Thank you See you again. When the morning sun rises, when the morning sun rises, you start another tomorrow with the same people every day. Thank youhttps://casinsaa.com/

  8. I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here frequently. I’m quite sure I’ll learn plenty of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next.

    스포츠토토

  9. I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this blog. I am hoping to view the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well.

    홀덤

  10. We have heard Psy’s song called Gangnam Style, and he is a singer in Korea. There are many good songs. I hope you can listen to it, too. I like your writing, so I recommend a good 메이저사이트

  11. I have been looking for articles on these topics for a long time. casinocommunity I don’t know how grateful you are for posting on this topic. Thank you for the numerous articles on this site, I will subscribe to those links in my bookmarks and visit them often. Have a nice day
    안전놀이터

  12. When I open my eyes in the morning, I think of your writing. I think I’m going to go crazy. I just think of your writing, but it’s such a good writing. Thank you always레플리카신발

  13. What do you think of Russia? I don’t like it very much I hope Japan sinks soon I’ll just ask once and then I’ll come back to talk hahahaha레플리카시계 and I felt responsible for receiving this warm energy and sharing it with many people

  14. Your blog post was very interesting to me.
    It was a series of surprises while reading.
    It is very impressive.
    Thank you for writing such a good article. I hope you visit my site too.

    토토사이트

  15. Hello. Thank you Bye. See you again Hello. Thank you See you again. When the morning sun rises, when the morning sun rises, you start another tomorrow with the same people every day. Thank youhttps://casinsaa.com/

  16. 먹튀검증Hello, I read the post well. It’s a really interesting topic and it has helped me a lot. In fact, I also run a website with similar content to your posting. Please visit once

  17. You fool, I’m really not. I love this article so much that I’m a fool. You’re a fool. I think I found the reason why I was born here. I was born to see your writing. Thank you so much. I’ll always ask for a good one토토사이트

  18. I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your weblog. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems? A couple of my blog visitors have complained about my site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any tips to help fix this problem 메이저놀이터

  19. PG SLOT AUTOs.” But over time you realize they are in constant conversation with one another—in a silent partnership balancing scales rather than creating something too heavy. Imagined by the same artist, the prints are

  20. I like you so much. I like you so much I really want to be a good person to you. I hope we can become a good relationship through this article. You’re watching out for COVID-19, right? Always wear a mask and have a good day“https://kipu.com.ua/”>

  21. I saw your writing once, but I’m spending my day looking at your writing every day well. If I had known your writing before, I would have seen it sooner. Thank you. I’m looking at it wellhttps://casinsaa.com

  22. We stumbled over here by a different website and thought I might check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to finding out about your web page again. 안전놀이터순위

  23. What a nice post! I’m so happy to read this. 온라인카지노사이트 What you wrote was very helpful to me. Thank you. Actually, I run a site similar to you. If you have time, could you visit my site? Please leave your comments after reading what I wrote. If you do so, I will actively reflect your opinion. I think it will be a great help to run my site. Have a good day.

  24. From some point on, I am preparing to build my site while browsing various sites. It is now somewhat completed. If you are interested, please come to play with bitcoincasino !!

  25. I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked your site to check out the new stuff you post. 먹튀검증 I am writing on this topic, so I think it will help a lot. I leave my blog address below. Please visit once.!

  26. Hey what a brilliant post I have come across and believe me I have been searching out for this similar kind of post for past a week and hardly came across this. Thank you very much and will look for more postings from you. 안전놀이터추천 and I am very happy to see your post just in time and it was a great help. Thank you ! Leave your blog address below. Please visit me anytime!

  27. First of all, thank you for your post. safetoto Your posts are neatly organized with the information I want, so there are plenty of resources to reference. I bookmark this site and will find your posts frequently in the future. Thanks again ^^

  28. Your writing is perfect and complete. baccarat online However, I think it will be more wonderful if your post includes additional topics that I am thinking of. I have a lot of posts on my site similar to your topic. Would you like to visit once?

  29. Looking at this article, I miss the time when I didn’t wear a mask. casinocommunity Hopefully this corona will end soon. My blog is a blog that mainly posts pictures of daily life before Corona and landscapes at that time. If you want to remember that time again, please visit us.

  30. The assignment submission period was over and I was nervous, majorsite and I am very happy to see your post just in time and it was a great help. Thank you ! Leave your blog address below. Please visit me anytime.

  31. As I am looking at your writing, bitcoincasino I regret being unable to do outdoor activities due to Corona 19, and I miss my old daily life. If you also miss the daily life of those days, would you please visit my site once? My site is a site where I post about photos and daily life when I was free.

  32. Thanks , I’ve just been looking for info about this subject for a long time and yours is the best I have found out till now. But, what in regards to the bottom line? Are you certain in regards to the source? 안전놀이터모음

  33. I’ve been looking for photos and articles on this topic over the past few days due to a school assignment, 메이저놀이터순위 and I’m really happy to find a post with the material I was looking for! I bookmark and will come often! Thanks 😀

  34. When I read an article on this topic, 먹튀검증커뮤니티 the first thought was profound and difficult, and I wondered if others could understand.. My site has a discussion board for articles and photos similar to this topic. Could you please visit me when you have time to discuss this topic?

  35. I seriously love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you create this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m trying to create my very own site and would like to learn where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Many thanks. 먹튀커뮤니티

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *