Feeling Pixilated?

It’s May 2020. We are several months into this global COVID-19 pandemic. The economic, political, health and personal impacts of this global crisis have been staggering. Many people have described experiencing some (or all) of the following:

  • Limited patience
  • Irritability or quick to anger
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Concentration more challenging
  • Poor time tracking
  • Misinterpretation of others
  • Hard to complete tasks or finish projects
  • Disorganization
  • Isolation
  • Screen time overload
  • Stress eating
  • More easily overwhelmed
  • Numbing out or shutting down
  • Avoiding feelings


I refer to this as feeling “pixilated,” much like the experience on Zoom or other digital platforms when the picture starts dissolving and the sound is distorted. Our brains and bodies are processing so much right now, and some people metabolize information and experiences more easily or quickly than others.

You might be taking care of yourself in every way you can think of and still feel pixilated. Or you may be someone with a chronic condition who is already feeling like you don’t have enough spoons right now. That does not mean you are doing something wrong.

Replenishing ourselves looks different for each individual person, family or community. My wish for you is that replenishment finds you easily, even or especially when you don’t expect it.