The Coronavirus Pandemic - One Year In

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought a sense of isolation to many.

Most of the world has been living with the Coronavirus pandemic for over a year now. For those of us who have been fortunate enough not to have gotten sick or to have gotten sick and survived, we’ve experienced partial or total shutdowns, social distancing, fear of getting sick, etc. We have been worried about our families’ health, about our children missing school or the normal social interaction that school provides. Many of us have been stressed by having our children and/or spouses at home most of the time while we try to maintain a career, run a household, and provide meals. And many have lost their jobs or suffered economic hardship. To say that it has been a difficult time for many is a major understatement.

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In addition to all the stress and difficulty that the pandemic has brought for many of us, we also are unable to draw upon the usual fun activities that can serve as “distractions” that help us cope with stress, such as dining out, traveling, spending time with friends and family, going to the movies, shopping, participating in certain sports – whatever those things might be that give us added pleasure in our lives, distract us – even if only temporarily – from our problems or bring us joy.
 
Loneliness and isolation are being reported by many, and it is taking a toll that can rival a physical illness.  In order to cope, some people might turn to other ways to “escape,” such as abuse of alcohol and drugs.  To top it off, physical activity has been curtailed for many.

The elderly have been particularly affected by isolation during the pandemic.

To sum it up, our mental and physical health are taking a hit.  Losing our daily routines and outer distractions and activities and being more isolated is hard for anyone to deal with – even for those who have good coping skills or who are trained in psychology or other self-care techniques.  For those without such skills or the resources to seek help, the burden can be overwhelming.
 
I’m sure you’ve read about the increased interest in psychotherapy that many practitioners have reported in their practices.  Often the increase in patient bookings has been similar to that experienced after the September 11 terrorist attack.  And in my mentoring practice, I have also seen an increase in bookings and have added a significant number of new clients to my practice.
 
Obviously as someone who works in the self-help and self-transformation field, I believe that our mental health and growth are extremely important. But in this unique time and situation in which we find ourselves, attending to our mental health is critical.

Writing in a journal is a great way to be creative, which helps with the monotony of life during this time.

And yet, as I mentioned above, many people do not have access to help.  So in an effort to try to make help available to more people than might ordinarily be the case, I’ve been offering my mentoring sessions at half price for the first two sessions for all new clients. If you or someone you know could use a little extra help, consider taking advantage of this offer.
   
But if you’re unable to avail yourself of a session, here are some things that have helped me during this time of disconnectedness:

• Exercise – This doesn’t have to be something strenuous.  I can be a short walk or a simple stretching routine at home.  Any exercise has the benefit of reconnecting us to our bodies when stress takes us “out of our bodies.”
  
• Change your environment – I know we can’t visit a café or a shop as we used to do, but just getting out of the house – going to a grocery store if you feel safe doing so, or going for a walk in your neighborhood (see above) - constitutes a change of environment (we’re mostly in our homes, so just going around the block is a change).  This has the remarkable effect of “tricking” our minds into doing a kind of reset.  You will usually feel a change in mood (in my experience, for the better).
  
• Get creative – Do something – anything – creative.  If you have a website or a blog, that could be writing a blog post or making a few changes to your website.  You don’t have to redo your whole site – unless you want and/or need to – you could just update a page by creating some new graphics or uploading new photos to experience the pleasure of being creative.  Creativity doesn’t have to be art or writing a novel! Whatever you can think of to do that is “creating” something is being creative.  And of course, if you are an artist or occasionally do art you could paint or draw.  Writing a journal entry is also creative.
• Do something productive – If you’re lucky enough to be employed and are working from home, you probably are being productive. But the monotony of being in one place all the time is likely affecting your mood. If you find yourself feeling down and have some time in your schedule, doing a project, like clearing out a closet or painting or redecorating a room can give you the feeling of being productive, especially if it’s something you’ve been putting off for a while. Use the time, give yourself permission. See it as something that will be out of the way for when you’re able to return to normal life and would rather spend time doing the activities you’ve missed. In addition to feeling productive, you’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment. You might even enjoy your home environment more – if you’ve had a cluttered drawer or closet that has needed cleaning, seeing the newly organized space will bring you a sense of calm, too. 
  

Being creative can help deal with feelings of isolation and monotony.

These are just some of the things that you can try to stay on top of your mental health in these trying times.  If you want to explore more things you can do or if you feel you need a deeper level of guidance, please contact me to see how my mentoring work might help you. And don’t forget to take advantage of my special offer of your first two sessions at half price. In the meantime, I wish you a lot of strength in coping with the situation we find ourselves in.

All photos courtesy of Pixabay at www.pixabay.com.