In the last 2 ½ months the COVID-19 pandemic has afforded many of us an opportunity to declutter. The sanitation workers who collect the trash are busier than ever.
People are decluttering things they’ve been needlessly holding onto (like those pants you’ll never fit into again, that side table that only has a “slight” wobble and that framed John Travolta Saturday Night Fever poster). We’re also seeing that one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure as selective items disappear off the curb within minutes of being set out for collection.
I’m especially inspired by RNs and Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who are using this time to declutter their minds. After all, there’s only so much news, Hallmark® channel movies and favorite TV series we can absorb without softening our brains to the point of mental atrophy.
What if you used this COVID-19 pandemic to reconnect with yourself? What if you used this time to shed old ways of thinking to attract new, innovative thoughts about you and your nursing career? What would you want your life to look like when you’re free of the fears of COVID-19? Now is the time to start the process of mentally and physically decluttering and setting the stage for your mental re-entry.
Spending thoughtful time with yourself, crafting your future in uncertain times can be beyond scary. Indeed, many of us are thinking one day at a time. There is no certainty, but for sure if you do nothing during this time, I can guarantee that you’ll achieve nothing when we’re past the pandemic.
As Dee Hock says, “The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get the old ones out.” I like to think when we’re all recovered from the fear of COVID-19, we’ll have more than cleaner closets. We’ll also have cleaner minds filled with new thoughts for our bright futures.
Be safe and stay healthy,
Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD
P.S. Comment and share what you’re doing to declutter during the COVID-19 pandemic.