UPDATE: Rethinking the Quarantine

Nobody wants to be stuck at home indefinitely, but all we can do is make the best of a difficult situation. Here are 18 reasons the quarantine isn't all that bad.

Every day is wear your pajamas to work day...
and take your kids to work day...
And take your dog to work day.

I'm saving a lot on gas money...
and there's less wear and tear on my car...
and no sitting in traffic...

which means I get to sleep in every day...
and parking is a breeze!

I don't have to pack a lunch...
or curse my co-workers for not cleaning the microwave in the staff lounge.

Stealing office supplies feels redundant.

Comb my hair???

Every Zoom conference is another chance to sing the Brady Bunch theme song in my head.

I never forget my ID badge...
or my office key.
In fact, I never leave for work wondering what I've forgotten.

It's been months since a co-worker asked me to support their kid's fundraiser.

Best of all, my office finally has a window!

UPDATE, JULY 22

The hope of returning to normal is just that...a hope. It looks like I'll have at least one more semester of working from home. Luckily, I have discovered more benefits of doing so.

I significantly reduce the risk of dying from a disease with no known cure.

I significantly reduce the risk of passing a disease on to my wife and children.

Or clients. 

Or co-workers.

Or anybody else.

I can go from work to working out without changing clothes. 

I reduce my chance of having to self quarantine. 

I reduce the risk of getting intimately acquainted with a ventilator.  

Because nobody knows the long term consequences of coronavirus, I reduce my potential for health complications 30 years from now. 

I don't have to wear an uncomfortable mask at work.

Yes, Mr. Refrigerator Repair Guy, I will be home from 7am to 6pm, so come whenever you like. 

I'm not wearing shoes or socks to work and my feet have never been happier. 

I'm doing my part to get things under control and closer to normal.

For information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com

Rethinking Change

People talk all the time of wanting to change.

The truth is people don't like change. It's scary and uncomfortable. Change relies on the idea that something about you is wrong. You are focused on your weaknesses. It's no surprise that most people fall back into the comfort of their fear, their sadness, their anxiety.

Change is an unrealistic and unnecessary goal. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE!

Instead of changing, try this.

1. Think of the ideal you, everything you want to be:

adventurous...
assertive...
compassionate...
creative...
motivated...
confident...
sensitive...
caring...
appreciative...
calm...
genuine...

honest.

2. Now think of a time in your life when you were that quality. 

Go back as far as you need to. There is no statue of limitations on the real you. Maybe your last memory of confidence occurred when you were 15.

If for only one moment in your life, you were powerful, creative, honest, assertive.

Stop focusing on your weaknesses. Focus on your strengths.

If I was ________ once, I can be ________ again. I will be ________ more often.

But don't change. 

For information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com

For creative consultation on your professional literature or Psychology Today profile, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com