Doing Your Best

Are you feeling a lot of pressure to accomplish great things because of all your supposed free time? Are you suddenly supposed to be a teacher? Are you trying to adjust to working full-time from home, or not working at all? Are you still adjusting to being around the people in your house all the time, or being all by yourself?

No matter what you see on social media, remember that “doing your best” looks different for every one of us. If you got out of bed today, great job! If you didn’t, I hope your bed is cozy and warm. If you baked your own bread, awesome! If you made ramen for dinner again, I hope it was tasty and filled your belly.

Sure, some people are going to use this time to write three novels, learn to knit, make adorable viral videos of their families singing corona-inspired versions of Broadway show tunes, and master the most complicated of yoga poses.

But plenty of other people are going to binge watch all of Netflix, eat chocolate for breakfast, nap away the afternoon, and go down a three-day rabbit hole on YouTube.

Some of us may even do a little of all of those things. Or none of them at all.

Checking these boxes doesn’t make you worthy. Not checking these boxes doesn’t mean you’re unworthy. We’re all out here trying our best in a complicated time that involves a huge helping of grief every day. Each of has a different definition of “our best,” of muddling through. And that’s just as it should be.

If you do anything today, I hope it’s this: I hope you take your meds, if you have meds. I hope you feed yourself. I hope you find a way to connect with someone you love. I hope you find a little bit of comfort, and a little bit of peace, and a little bit of hope.

The photo above featuring a plus-size model is by Michael Poley of Poley Creative for AllGo, publisher of free stock photos featuring plus-size people.

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