It feels like forever. It feels like the world has gone mad, and that we will never recover. But, this will not last forever. We can have compassion for people--remembering that everyone responds differently to anxiety or trauma-inducing events.
We are now at a point where mostly only grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations are fully open for business. There are some places like Mazarro’s that are open with limitations. It is a new normal that will not be our normal forever.
I want to let my present clients know that, due to this, we are able to use FaceTime and other mediums during the time of this virus to do video or phone counseling. Please click here for more information. Sessions will remain at the same time, only you’ll be able to do them from the comfort of your home. We will work through this together in the same way we have.
I know this affects everyone in different ways. All we can do is our best. We will keep working on finding the path to you living your best life. Here are some ideas on what we can do to work around the restrictions we are now adhering to.
Are you organized? Do you have a cluttered work area that takes away from your focus? Do you have tasks or projects left undone? Maybe you now have time to wax your car to protect it from the pollen we have this time of year. Whatever it is for you, there is no time like the present to get your space in order.
Say no to boredom. Boredom can happen when you ‘re doing a task that doesn’t have much value to you, like surfing through social media, or trying to find shows on television that don’t hold your interest.
As alluded to above, do you have a to-do list? Could you create one? Could you commit to doing just one small task on that list, and add in something fun after as a reward? Oftentimes, putting off your boredom for a few minutes by being productive can kick that feeling.
We have come to understand what social distancing is like. We can get outside and practice that. Crescent Lake near downtown would be one of my suggestions. Manatees are being seen around Coffee Pot Bayou. Is there a hobby that you haven’t touched on in a while that feeds your soul? Do you like to read or write? Are there online exercise classes you can take? Feeding your body surely feeds your mind.
Stay in touch. Just like temporarily being able to do therapy sessions via FaceTime, we can do that with our family and friends. I know quite a few people that live alone. For some, it might be a welcomed break. For others it can be lonely. Being able to see a person and their reactions, and yours back to them, is human interaction. Old-fashioned phone calls are not a bad idea either.
Look at circle of concern vs. circle of influence. A circle of concern includes all the concerns we have, such as our health, our children, problems at work, the amount of government borrowing, or the threat of war. A circle of influence encompasses concerns we can do something about. We have some control over these concerns.
For more on this, click here for an article from another therapist that was posted on Psychology Today when this pandemic was at it’s beginnings for our country. Dr. Inna Khazan covers the concerns we can control within ourselves.
Address your feelings. As you’ll find in the article cited above, being able to pay attention to your internal body sensations that can feel automatic, or like you can’t stop your thoughts and related feelings from happening, can help you to address anxiety you may be feeling before it takes a hold of you. Pay attention to such physiological symptoms of your heart rate, your breathing, body pains or aches you may experience when feelings of stress are coming on, or your palms becoming sweaty. These are “red flags” that it is time to find something concrete to “ground” yourself. Making this a practice makes decreasing any feelings of anxiety easier over time.
There are various grounding techniques that have helped my clients during Brainspotting sessions that help reduce anxiety. One thing you can try on your own is to focus on slowing down your breathing. If you’re not familiar with the practice of finding ways to slow yourself down, https://breathguidance.com/ is offering a 7-day Breath Program when you click on “Become a breather”—easily found on the website’s homepage.
Another good tip is to find a concrete object to focus on. Notice it’s texture, it’s size, and stay focused on it until your anxiety and your physiological symptoms decrease. Just as this virus’ threat will pass, so will your feelings of stress and anxiety.
Try to see the big picture. All we can do is have compassion for each other as we navigate this, make sure to do what we can to make it through a daunting time, and know that we did good by over preparing instead of not preparing enough. It can,”take a village”. Know that you are not alone in this.
If this time has put more strain on you than you want to handle on your own, please do not hesitate to reach out here. I do have open time slots. Also, please feel free to share this with someone you feel that could benefit. I would be happy to help.
Amy
1. Are you organized?
2. Say no to boredom.
3. Stay in touch.
4. Look at circle of concern vs. circle of influence.
5. Address your feelings.
6. Try to see the big picture.