Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by the “now’s the time” memes that have been circulating the internet lately? You know the ones. They’ve been screaming at you with every click, taunting you, and trying to stretch you past your limits. But just in case you’ve been avoiding social media for the past month, in which case, good for you, let me fill you in.

Apparently, “now,” in the middle of a global health crisis, a pandemic that is incapacitating the lives of millions and has rendered us helpless within the confines of our own homes. That is the same “now” that is supposedly the perfect time to complete a lifechanging project or learn some portfolio-padding new skills.

“Now is the time to write that book!”
“Now is the time to become a chef!”
“Now is the time to pick up a new hobby!”
“Now is the time to start that workout plan!”
And on, and on, and on…

Don’t get me wrong; I think these suggestions come from a place of pleading optimism and aren’t intentionally destructive. I mean, what’s the alternative? Suggesting that now is the time to abandon your expectations? Now is the time to allow yourself to self-numb with Netflix? Now is the time to feed your family whatever you were able to find at the store during your risky grocery run?

Well, yes.

But here’s the thing about social media and how it operates. Those suggestions aren’t as shiny, and therefore don’t make the best motivational content to plaster across social platforms. But still, those are the suggestions that resonate with the majority of us. But why? I’m glad you asked.

Because we’re anxious.

Because we’re exhausted.

Because we’re struggling to perform our jobs from home.

Because we don’t even have a job to struggle with anymore.

Because we’re still trying to figure out how to teach our children.

Because we just don’t have the freaking bandwidth to transcend our former selves when we’re paralyzed with uncertainty and fear.

Disclaimer time. If you do have to capacity to take on new and exciting projects, this is in no way meant to make you feel shame. People all handle trauma in different ways, and yes, this experience does qualify as a trauma for many. If distraction, motivation, movement, and creation is what keeps you sane during times of turmoil, I think that’s beautiful. Keep going. The world needs people like you who have the emotional energy to add beauty and inspiration to our daily lives now more than ever.

But if you can’t process trauma and still have the emotional energy to create, dream, design, build, and reinvent, that’s okay too. Because the world also needs you. The world needs people who are vulnerable and authentic and can admit when they are struggling. The world needs people who teach us that it’s okay to slow down and take a step back without feeling pressured to “push through” when your body and mind are begging you to lay low and rest. The world needs people who show us that it’s okay to honor yourself and take care of your physical and mental wellbeing. Because the truth is, that’s a skill that many of us have yet to master.

We’re in the middle of a global pandemic. Do you realize what that means? Restoring health is of the utmost priority right now, and that applies to you too. All of our resources on both a micro and macro level is being funneled into survival. So don’t feel guilty for just trying to do just that.

This isn’t about performing your best; this is about replanting some roots. The world isn’t a stage; it’s a garden. And only when the storm passes, our soil is nourished, and we are ready, will we finally be able to bloom