It’s impossible to not face some facts about our current situation.  Since the start of this pandemic nearly 850,000 unemployment claims have been filed in Pennsylvania, alone.  Nearly a million people are suddenly facing huge economic changes, all while trying to navigate the social- or anti social- distancing guidelines placed upon them.  Those lucky enough to still have a job are facing new work-from-home environments and technological challenges by no choice of their own. Parents are now teachers, the overworked are now without any work, and all of this is smothered with a smog of uncertainty and unknowns.

There are endless amounts of hardships being faced by our nation and by all of us here in Pittsburgh.  Those who are handling job loss are trying to figure out how to survive with less, and those still employed are trying to figure out how they can help the greatest amount of people with the little extra they may have. Straight up, we are all feeling broke- but we don’t have to feel broken.

It is easy to say everything is a mess, that this pandemic is destroying so many possibilities. You can point out so many things that feel so incredibly broken...in our country, our systems, even our homes--where did that crack in the ceiling come from, anyway?  Since when does my kid chew with their mouth open? Does my neighbor always make so much noise? WHY WON’T MY DOG PUT HIS DANG TOYS AWAY?!?!

It’s all just a bit overwhelming at times...downright whackadoo, if you ask me.  The questions we ask ourselves have shifted from “Where are we having brunch on Sunday?” to “How long does lettuce last in the fridge?”  From “Should I upgrade my seats to business class?” to “How many months of bills do I actually have saved?”

But what if we take control of the things that we can, when we can? Our mindset, our actions, our spirit.  

Not every moment we are awake will be positive, but when we harbor the positives it makes the less than perfect moments shorter and a bit easier to cope with.  Did you dump coffee grounds all over the counter for the 3rd time this week? Well, at least by now you’ve figured out how to clean them up more efficiently! 

We won’t always be capable of doing the best for ourselves or those around us (we’re broke, remember?), but we can certainly stop ourselves from doing the wrong things.  It’s impossible to donate to every person or business in need--but we can avoid “retail therapy” overspending and the stress it will undoubtedly cause.

There will definitely be times where our spirit is low and we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders...definitely. It is then that we must dig deep and remember that, while we may very well be broke...we are not broken! 

-Nicole Nelson, ASCEND fitness intstructor ft. Rebel. Take a live class with Nicole on ASCEND To Go!