Monotonous: dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest 

Anybody else relate to this word?  This description is – by far – the most common response from my clients, friends and family when I check in with them to see how they are doing and how they are coping with the pandemic. It certainly describes my experience ~ outside of work, of course. I think I’m one of the fortunate ones who at least has a stimulating job during this pandemic. The rest of the week is definitely on the dull side and most definitely lacking in variety and interest! I’ve already cleaned out the closets, tried new recipes, painted, read about a dozen books, and taken classes online. I’m frankly tired of trying to think of what else to occupy my time. 

About 2 months ago, I also decided that it was time to hibernate for winter – that is, “spend the winter in a dormant state”. Even though I’d been exercising quite regularly during this pandemic, I decided it was a good idea to just stop ~ no reason, no excuse, no injury, just stop. There are a few problems with my decision. First and foremost, bears hibernate, not people. I am not a bear. I do not need to conserve energy, food is not scarce, and “winter” in California is hardly threatening to survival. So this hibernation idea started to fall apart. It also started to get monotonous. I actually started to get bored of being bored and lazy. Anybody relate?

So, today I decided to actually get up and take a hike. It was absolutely beautiful in Sonoma today (Saturday) and I actually felt compelled to move. I decided being out in nature might break the spell of boredom because Mother Nature is far from monotonous – especially as of late! I went on a trail that I’ve hiked many, many times and Mother Nature did not disappoint. The wind storms, rainfall, and warm sunshine have each touched the earth in their unique ways so that the trail was alive with vibrant green grasses, bright yellow, pink and white blossoms, butterflies, bees, and a babbling brook. Just being outside, amidst Mother Nature’s blessings, I felt more alive than I have in weeks. It was such a beautiful reminder that sometimes the answer to boredom and monotony is not finding something new to do, but rather, finding somewhere new to be. 

I invite you to try to find your moment of magic that wakes you up and breathes life back into you during these trying times. For me, being in nature is definitely where my spirit soars. I need to remember this and even if I want to hibernate (or be lazy), I need to push myself a little bit more. Some of the other places I like to be are with my children and my friends and I can start to feel very sad about missing the laughter, hanging out and hugs they offer. (I did sneak a hug from my niece today since she and I have both been extremely covid safe and that certainly made me smile!). Until it is safer to experience these moments of magic, I will walk along the trails, venture to the coast, perhaps take a trip to the snow, and keep allowing Mother Nature to bestow her beautiful blessings upon me. I hope you will allow blessings to shower down upon you as well, turning monotony into magic.