How to Conquer Quarantine with (Hopefully) a Few Laughs
You’re stuck at home. Your kids are screaming. You can’t get a free moment to yourself… I get it and I’m right there with you. This period of quarantine and isolation is a jarring course correction for our lives. Today, I want to be in service to you by opening up about my spiritual journey and the lessons I’ve picked up that are helping me navigate these strange times. I’m sharing tips to help you keep your sanity and make progress on your goals even while stuck in your living room.
I saw a meme that said 2020 has the same organizers as the Fyre Festival (LOL). And that right there is the key to surviving and thriving during this pandemic – finding the humor even when things are dark. Quarantine has got me feeling all sorts of feelings, but I’ve found that I can come back to my spiritual practice and a few tips I picked up during my studies to help keep myself grounded and moving forward.
Today, for the first time, I’m opening up about the time that I studied spiritual psychology and how it changed my life. I’ll share important ideas like the three-foot toss and how it can help you move incrementally toward your goals. This quarantine is a course correction. So come up with a theme song, dance, and have some fun. We’re dope ass people and we got this!
[00:26] - Quarantine: Week two
[01:05] - My spiritual practice story
[05:35] - Neutral observer
[06:55] - Take action on your dreams
[12:03] - Course correction
[14:05] - S Factor
[17:08] - Acceptance
[19:32] - Stay away from the news
[21:27] - Time to write
[23:20] - Trash TV
[24:31] - Get into service
[26:33] - Compassion for yourself
PODCASTING, QUARANTINE STYLE
Guys, we’re living through some real, scary-ass shit right now. Pardon my French. But SERIOUSLY. Our external world looks completely different, and let me tell ya I never thought my life would be spending 24/7 at home, with my kids.
But that’s our reality and the only choice we’ve got is to embrace it. And I’ve found that tapping into my comedy and spirituality have really helped with that. Before I get into the practices I’ve been embracing, though, let’s take a walk down memory lane.
When I first had Anna ten years ago, most of my friends were single and partying every weekend. Of course I had FOMO, but I also had a deep sense that being a mom wasn’t going to quite cut it for me. I needed something more. So I did what any normal person would do, and I hopped on Google to answer my existential crisis. I went from link to link and ended up finding Christine Hassler, a personal and spiritual coach — who I hired immediately.
In our year together, Christine taught me A LOT about overcoming the “if I have this, I’ll be happy” mentality I’d been living with. But eventually I became curious to know how she knew everything she did about spirituality, intentionality and all that good stuff. She recommended a book, Loyalty to Your Soul which immediately struck a chord with me. After some research, I found that it was a school in California that offered a Masters in Spiritual Psychology.
I thought, “Pshhh, California! I could never go there,” but when you’re pursuing what you’re truly meant to, the universe has a funny way of working things out. I ended up being part of a program that met every two weekends, so for a hot second I was a cross-country commuter. (Very cool, I know.) In this program I learned EVEN MORE about spiritually, intentionality and all that good stuff. But I didn’t get comedy involved in my journey towards self-evolution until my final project my second year.
We were instructed to pursue something we’ve always wanted to do. Some people chose golf, ice-skating, creating a one-woman play. I chose standup. And I pursued this passion with what we were taught as “the three year toss” method. I broke down my dreams of getting on stage into measurable goals, met my incredible mentor Beth Lapides on the way (listen to her beautiful voice on my podcast, here) and I felt such a transformation. When you get off your butt and pursue your dreams, things really do have a magical way of working out, and that’s how comedy felt for me.
So I found my two passions, brought them together and lived a totally normal life until COVID trapped me inside. The good news is that comedy and spiritually have been my two solaces in this hard time. Memes? Bring them on. The more I can make fun of people panic-buying toilet paper, the less bleak my days seem. Meditation, prayer? All the way. I’ve had to find ways to keep myself grounded.
But most importantly during this time, I’ve returned to goals I set for myself when I began pursuing my spirituality in a deeper way. I’ve had the chance to really connect with my kids, which, especially as they’re getting older has just been the ooiest, gooiest lovefest I could have asked for. It’s not perfect, but I’ve found that reminding myself that I never have and never will be a perfect mom helps with that anxiety.
In addition to that, I’ve had the chance to reconnect with my sexuality — via virtual pole dancing classes from my former studio, “S-Factor.” It’s been an amazing reminder of my femininity and also why yoga will never be the sport for me.
So yeah, times are tough, but if we keep laughing, keeping watching trash TV (Go watch Tiger King, immediately) and find ways to add purpose to our lives — whether that’s reading a book, picking up a hobby, getting involved in community activism or just calling a friend, we’ll make it through this, better than before!
On the Dope Ass Podcast, Andrea Levoff and her roster of hilarious, inspirational, and always-opinionated guests are tackling everything from motherhood to fashion to travel and spirituality---with a seriously dope ass lens. But don’t take our word for it. Learn more about your dope ass host and her mission to make everyone see the world through hot pink-colored glasses at https://www.andrealevoff.com/.
This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.