How to Emotionally Capitalize on Being Stuck at Home.

A Different Kind of “Me Time”.

Months ago, if somebody told me “social distancing” was going to be an actual, real term, circulated by the masses, the introvert in me would have ran, not walked, to my couch and swan dived into a Netflix rabbit hole, no questions asked.

The fact of the matter though, is that staying home right now isn’t a personal preference, it’s a duty to keep our communities and loved ones safe. But there’s something about being instructed to do something (not to mention the uncertainty and panic surrounding it) that overshadows what we could stand to gain from downtime.

So how can we reframe this and reclaim the positives of the ample amount of time we all have on our hands now?

More downtime can be great for taking space to identify and work on areas of your life you’d like to improve.

I’m a big Solution-Focused Brief Therapy guy (SFBT). What is it? The Solution Focused Model holds that focusing only on problems is not an effective way of solving them. SFBT looks at a person’s default patterns for finding and executing solutions, evaluates the patterns’ efficacy, and modifies or replaces them with problem-solving approaches that are more likely to yield successful outcomes. A key component of SFBT is challenging yourself to visualize the desired outcome instead of allowing fear to preoccupy your thoughts with worst case scenarios (Hey self-fulfilling prophecy!).

So with this newfound abundance of spare time we all have, can you identify something you’d like to improve or change? Is it an improved ability to shorten the amount of time it takes to replace negative self-talk with more forgiving or reframing thoughts? Strengthening existing relationships? (Yes this can be accomplished virtually.) Is it a better relationship with your self-image, diet, and exercise? A healthy relationship with a boss, co-worker, family, or a romantic relationship?

Sure, watching all 6 seasons of Schitt’s Creek for the 4th time is fun, but so is like, improving your life.