With most things in life there are frequently identified finish lines. Some are clearly defined while others are arbitrary. For example, a 5K road race has both a start and a finish where, if individuals are working to be generally healthy over the course of their life, there is not a start or a finish. During this time of the COVID 19 Pandemic, while the start is somewhat known, the finish line has yet to be determined. While many attempts to identify a clear finish line, and while most individuals may want to believe there is a known one, placing one’s energy on this possibility can be emotionally and physically exhausting. Returning to the example of running a 5K road race, for the first time, it is a better mindset to think of it as a 10K. This is important because, if you only look at the 5K finish line, after you cross it you will stop. Instead, if your eyes are focused on a 10K finish line, then you are more likely to sail through the 5K finish line with remaining physical and emotional energy. This concept is applicable to our mindset about the finish line of the Pandemic. If we anticipate the finish line being somewhere in 2021, we may be out of energy in one year and the finish line not yet crossed. Instead, we may want to pace ourselves and keep our eyes focused on 2022 or 2023. The emotional toll from unrealized anticipation can be destructive to our emotional and physical health. Pace yourself and keep your eyes on 2022 or 2023.
Key Takeaways
Finish lines are not always the end.
Focusing on the finish line, limits your progress.
Start planning for 2022 and beyond.
Best Practices
Focus beyond the finish line.
Pace yourself.
Keep focused on your physical and emotional health.
Things to Limit
Social media and the news.
Magical thinking.
Unrealistic expectations.
Quote of the Week
“The finish line is the culmination of a journey, as such, we should never pay it so much attention that the culmination of the journey becomes the whole of the journey at the expense of the journey.”
~ Craig D. Lounsbrough
In summary, pacing our expectations is important to ensure our emotional and physical health is maintained through the Pandemic and beyond. There probably will not be a clearly defined final finish line for this Pandemic because life’s journey will just continue.
Be well,
Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD and Dr. Helen E. Battisti PhD
The paraDocs
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The paraDocs are Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD, Psychotherapist, Distinguished Psychology Professor and former Executive V.P and Chief Academic Officer and Dr. Helen E. Battisti PhD, RDN, CDN, Chief Nutrition Officer at SpNOD, Health Promotion Specialist, Research and Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and former Assistant Professor.
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