A post in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper makes me rethink a phrase I sometimes use wishing people to “have a great day.” As she explains, some people have difficulty with this phrase and rightfully so, especially now during the pandemic. They may out of work, have experienced the death of a family member and/or friend, are coping with an illness, have lost their business, have run through their savings, are caring for a family member, and the future looks bleak. I can relate as I ride the emotional roller coaster of these chaotic times. I am grieving the loss of my pre-COVID-19 life. When I feel sad, anxious and/or worried, I reassure myself that it’s OK not to be OK. 

Instead, of “have a great day,” Maria Shriver recommends saying “have a day.” I like this phrase because it relieves us of the pressure to have a great day and to be OK with whatever comes up on any given day. In so doing, we may choose to do nothing and just be, allow ourselves to be vulnerable, give ourselves the permission to feel our feelings, and most importantly, to have patience for our process and trust that this too will pass. 

As we get through the day and transition into the next one and the day after that, we may begin to see ourselves through a resilience-lens as we become aware of our strengths and coping strategies and realize: “I am dealing with this situation to the best of my ability,” “I am handling this.” 

So have a day everyone!