Five tips to Coping Through the Pandemic
As the pandemic continues, there are those who are thriving and those barely surviving.
Some of those differences are innate. There are just some to whom social distancing and being home suits them. However, there are also those who for various reasons are struggling.
If you are struggling, here are some tips that may be helpful in getting you through your day:
- Practice gratitude. It is not uncommon that when feeling burdened, our mind goes to what is lacking. With this we can further burden ourselves with nothing more that our negative thoughts. A quick and easy way to counter that is with a gratitude journal. Writing down daily, that which is going well and that for which we feel grateful can help us refocus our thoughts to feel better.
- Practice connecting. We, at least most of us, are social creatures. To be out of touch literally and figuratively can cause us to feel adrift, lonely, depressed. This is a time when reaching out to connect with another, however we can, can restore a sense of community and caring to our lives. It can be a video chat, a wave through a window with a friend, loved one or neighbor. It can even be a friendly hello to your local grocery clerk as you check out your groceries.
- Get a groove. Without the routine of work or school, our regular routines may be lost. It can be helpful to organize ourselves and manage our day with some sort of regular schedule. This helps bring certainty to our lives at a time when so much feels out of our control.
- Help others. In the midst of our own distress, we lose sight of those around us. Doing good deeds helps shift our focus and bring meaning to our lives. In doing for others, we often feel better ourselves.
- Get help. If your distress is overwhelming or built upon other issues, psychotherapy can help. Professional support and guidance can help you find your better place. An investment in yourself can be helpful.
Happily, this pandemic will change and in time, it will hopefully become yesterday’s news. However, we can take from this experience to help us build resilience for any further hardship. The above tips may aid in that resilience.
