I encourage you to focus inward. Of course we want to connect with our community and not be completely isolated. But don’t just focus outward. Bringing your energy inward is good for your immune system because the exterior of our body is where our defensive Qi is, but it comes from having strong Qi grounded in the deeper interior.
Be kind to yourselves and don’t over-do it at work. Use this time as a precious opportunity (assuming everyone is healthy) to follow your heart. Give yourself permission to do an activity that allows you to rest and/or brings you joy.
Joy is the emotion of the Heart and the element of Fire. Fire can burn an extra Wood (Liver) energy that may be accumulating in the form of frustration, irritability or anger. Following your heart can help balance these emotions so joy can end up on top. Exercise helps, too, when the Wood/Liver energy is predominating.
Bring back something that you used to do that feels good. Prioritize some me-time each day:
meditate, biking, play some music, read a book that’s on your shelf, gardening, exercise, take a NAP, play chess, scrap-booking, learn HTML?!, work on that project…
It took me a month, but I re-upped my online guitar lessons and started learning Hey Joe on my electric guitar last weekend (see, before I even finished this newsletter, go me!). I intend to make time for playing every day for the next month. What about you? What non-urgent thing have you been putting off doing for yourself?
Put down your phone. Focus inward. Follow your heart. Joy is medicine.