As some of you may already know, I’m currently 21 weeks pregnant. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to turn into a pregnancy post or a mom club blog, just stay with me. I spent the summer mourning all the things I’m going to have to give up. Living in a pandemic summer, I was thinking a lot about all of the things that I would miss out on this summer because of the pandemic, that I would still have to miss out on next summer because of the tiny human I’ll be nurturing and trying to keeping alive. I noticed my body changing almost daily. My clothes weren’t fitting anymore and I was mourning the loss of the body I’ve known and loved. I remember being out somewhere and thinking about all these changes, and as I was walking back to my car, I thought “wait… it’s only just a phase.”
This isn’t a life sentence. My body isn’t going to stay pregnant forever. My clothes are going to fit better again in the future (and if not, I’ll buy some new ones in the right size). I’m not losing out on every summer forever and ever, amen. I’m literally just going through a phase. That tiny shift in perspective helped me see things much differently. Lately I’ve been thinking about how this little phrase can be used as a mantra to help us get through everything we need to get through in life.
I’m worried about not sleeping well with a newborn. That’ll just be a phase.
I’m concerned about my budget and finances when on maternity leave. That’ll just be a phase.
Parents are worried about sending their kids back to school. Things will change. This is only just a phase.
People are afraid of going back to work after being sheltered for months at home. It will get easier, it’s only just a phase.
Many of us are missing travel and don’t know when we’ll be able to globe trot again. It’s only just a phase.
Of course we’re not sure how this pandemic is going to pan out. It’s only just a phase.
Many of life’s circumstances are out of our control, but the important thing to remember is that they’re only just a phase. We can look forward to a time in the future when things will be better and remind ourselves that we are not stuck in these circumstances forever.
On the other hand, many of the problems or challenges we face are within our control to do something about. So it’s also important to remember that we could be one decision, one reframe, one action away from moving away from the problem and towards a solution. We might feel stuck, but that too is just a phase. Whether it’s reframing the problem to look at it differently, or actually doing something about it, we are not helpless in all of life’s challenges.
So when things feel tough, or you’re feeling like you’re stuck, try my newest mantra, it’s only just a phase. Hopefully it will help you see a way through it.
And so it is.
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