By Flavia Mosci
The unexpected Covid-19 outbreak has posed a sudden threat to all of us. Globally, statistics display the number of deaths moving at a catastrophic rate; it is widespread and difficult to control. Our healthcare professionals are overwhelmed as they place their own lives in harm’s way to help us. Many of them are experiencing an emotional meltdown from what they are witnessing. Every day, they watch the suffering of patients struggling to breathe, while not always being able to help them to stay alive. This is an emotional shocking experience for all of us.
In truth, many of us have not witnessed a calamity of this scale in our lifetimes. This has turned our world upside down and so it is only natural for us to feel frightened, overwhelmed and confused. Some of what we may be going through includes: denial, shock, numbness, fear, anger, anticipatory anxiety, loss of control, anticipation of job loss and financial instability, vigilance, sadness, a feeling of disconnect and disorientation, sleep disturbances, isolation, exhaustion, panic, and heightened anxiety levels.
The uncertainty and unpredictability of this situation may also trigger our own fears of death. Undoubtedly, intense stressful events such as this one, can exhaust our sense of well-being and equilibrium, threatening both our physical and mental health. Yet, what we must realize is that these are all genuine concerns. We start to wonder “how are we going to adapt to this “new normal”?
Let us begin by understanding the meaning of resilience. Resilience is our ability to adapt, cope or spring back from a challenging situation. It is crucial that we learn how to best cope with this event. One of the main resilience factors in our lives maybe the supportive people around us.
This situation has certainly made it more difficult in terms of social interactions. We understand that social distancing is more than necessary; we cannot overwhelm hospitals and health care professionals. However, this is not the time to isolate yourself. Connecting does not need to be face to face, therefore reach out to others, and stay in touch with family and friends. We can now make use of meaningful engagements through so many sources such as facetime, zoom, messenger, or even with a basic phone call.
We must focus on controlling what is controllable at this time. Can we stop this virus? As we wait, I feel confident that researchers all over the world are working extensively on new clinical trials while searching for a good approach. For now, we must be patient and continue listening to the expert’s guidance and stay home as much as possible, but we can still take initiatives in many areas in which we do have control over.
Do not sit in the couch all day and let it all overwhelm you; this would be the worst thing that you can do. In the face of a threat some of us just freeze, instead, try to maintain some type of routine.
Move around! studies have shown exercising reduces stress and boost endorphin and serotonin levels, thus bringing more wellness into your life.
These are a few recommendations that may help you cope:
- Open the windows. Allow some fresh air to flow through.
- Practice mindfulness. This can help reduce the intense levels of stress you maybe experiencing
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep can be detrimental to our immune system
- Improve your food intake. Add foods and supplements that boost your immunity
- Switch the focus. Try to give your attention to things other than the virus, such as a hobby, gardening, cooking a new recipe, playing a board game with your kids, and maybe watching some positive TED Talks.
- If you are a spiritual person, take time to re-connect to what is meaningful to you.
- Practice more gratitude and count your blessings; large and small.
- Remain well informed, but try to monitor the amount of time you spend obsessing over the news. Being exposed to a large volume of negative information can cause fears to become unmanageable, bringing us to to feel helpless and powerless.
Open the windows, allow some fresh air to flow through.
Practice mindfulness, this can help reduce the intense levels of stress you maybe experiencing
Make sure you are getting enough sleep; lack of sleep can be detrimental our immune system
By understanding the factors that we can or cannot control, we can begin to take some power back to ourselves, which will in turn help us to keep a more constructive and positive perspective. Follow the health experts’ guidance, be patient and together we will get through this. Remember, the secret is in how you navigate this storm.
We cannot choose our external circumstances,
but we can always choose how to respond to them.
– Epictetus
– Move around! Studies have shown exercising reduces stress and boosts endorphin and serotonin levels, thus bringing more wellness into your life.
By understanding the factors that we can or cannot control, we can begin to take some power back to our lives, which will in turn help us keep a more constructive and positive perspective. Follow the health experts’ guidance, be patient, and together we will get through this. Remember, the secret is in how you navigate this storm.
We cannot choose our external circumstances,
