The past couple of weeks have been quite intense, both as a nation, and as a world. COVID-19 has been a tidal wave that has hit and changed our lives as we have known them.
At this point, I am still meeting with people in private practice. While this is a time when people are participating in "social-distancing" it is also a time when people need interaction - more than ever.
The virus and the updates surrounding it have been earth shattering for individuals on all different levels. Understandably, there is a great deal of anxiety. While the level of anxiety appears to be consistent across the board, the reasons as to why people are anxious vary greatly.
Some of the reasons people have identified are as follows:
the virus itself
contracting the virus
being a carrier of the virus
conspiracy theories
the economy
no longer being in school
having to homeschool
quarantine
loss of job/ benefits/ income
wondering when will things go back to normal
In this time, when nothing is normal and daily life has been turned upside down, its EXTREMELY important to attempt to ground yourself as much as possible.
If you are finding that you have been highly affected by these recent events, below are some tips on how to deescalate, calm your mind and refocus.
1. Turn OFF the news!
While the media can be great for providing us with the latest updates and vital information. They can also contribute to our overall stress and anxiety. The media tends to take a "heightened" approach to the way in which they deliver information.
I often say that you need to be able to "filter" the media's messages in a way that allows you to simply walk away with the information and not the bias or emotion they tend to inject into it. So trust me... Just turn it off...
2. Social Media is no better.
The same thoughts above apply to social media, except it can be even worse because there is the amount of opinion, bias, and emotion are at an all time high. There is also no where near the amount of "fact-checking" that goes into these posts. It's a breeding ground for misinformation.
3. Take advantage of this opportunity
It's hard to sit back and enjoy this time that we're being "given" to disconnect, disengage from the hustle and bustle, and tune in to the things that matter most- our family and our health. After all, the circumstances under which this is all occurring are not ideal. There's the potential for income to be low and uncertainty to be high. I get it!
However, there's nothing that we can do at this time to change any of these larger factors. So try to lean into it instead of resisting it. Take this time to organize the closet that you've been meaning to get to, or put those pictures in that album, or binge watch Netflix. For those of us who are parents, we often wish we had more time to spend with our children- now's your time. Use it!
4. Make a list of things you NEED or WANT to do.
Piggy backing off #3... make a CONCRETE LIST of all the things that you would like to do during quarantine. It's helpful if (when your mind goes crazy) you have something to reference to put you back on track.
5. Acknowledge what IS and IS NOT in your control.
Unfortunately, we don't have control over the fact that the virus has spread around the globe. We also don't have control over the shut downs that are occurring as a result.
What we DO have control over, however, is taking responsibility of ourselves and our families. We have control over following the guidelines that the government has put in place. We have control over how we choose to use this time. So use it wisely.
Stay safe and be healthy!