Navigating a Pandemic

Oof. It’s been a week.

The entire country is high stress right now. We’re all doing our best without knowing the whole story of what’s going on or how bad it is going to get.

So how do you function when that’s happening?

• Continue caring for your own mental health. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Protect your own well being so that you can support others in your life.

• Find outlets for stress relief. Meditation and grounding are two super helpful techniques that are easy to do wherever you are.

• Do the things that you know keep you balanced. Make sure you’re meeting all of your needs (social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional, and spiritual). Move your body!

• Talk about how stressful it is. Find a friend or group of friends that you can chat with electronically about how you’re feeling. OR talk to your therapist!

• Manage your social media accounts and be picky about where you get your information (maybe more CDC and less TMZ, for example).

• WASH. YOUR. HANDS. Don’t go out if you’re sick. Protect those who are high risk or have compromised immune systems.

And above all - support each other. Consider staying home FOR others, even if you’re not worried that you will get sick yourself. Maybe let someone ahead of you in the checkout line. Ask other families or neighbors in your area if they need assistance. Offer a smile or kind word to the people working in the crazy busy stores. Understand that everyone is in the same boat. We’re all stressed - a little kindness goes a long way toward healing.

Situations as high stress as these have the potential to bring us together and highlight the good around us - but only if we let them.