Emotional Well-being In The Time Of Covid-19: Self Care Advice From A Psychotherapist

By Author: JUDI
Total Articles: 122
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For most of us, we have never experienced anything like this before - a global shutdown of economy, social distancing measures, and indefinite lockdowns. When things are changing minute to minute, we may inevitably experience feelings of powerlessness and helplessness. In such uncertain times, our mind which is naturally geared to help us survive will desperately search for any information or solutions that will help us gain clarity. What is clear, however, is that we will find ourselves feeling even more overwhelmed when we over consume social media and news on Covid-19 which are often negatively skewed and sensationalized. Bad news can become more distressing when our anxious minds gravitate towards the worst-case scenarios.
We may also notice there are changes in our day to day life. We can no longer have our normal friend gatherings or parties. Kids are at home all the time. The worst part of this is that we don’t know how long this is going to last. There is no road map for this. Having a little predictability and a sense of control creates grounding, which may help us when we are unsure what this will look like ...
... in 1 week or 1 month from now.

"There is no road map for this. Having a little predictability and a sense of control creates grounding, which may help us when we are unsure what this will look like in 1 week or 1 month from now."

The quarantine has definitely changed the timing of our goals and plans. People have had to cancel their big plans like weddings and trips. Such rapid changes at the global level due to the pandemic can make us feel powerless and disoriented about the life goals we had set.

"Such rapid changes at the global level due to the pandemic can make us feel powerless and disoriented about the life goals we had set."
Due to shutdown measures, the majority of us are spending most of our time at home. Your personal space and time are likely significantly limited if you are living with other people. All of a sudden, your partner, parents, or kids are with you 24/7. If you are feeling suffocated, you are definitely not alone. Despite how much we love our family and friends, we all need this little retreat space for us to breathe and feel like ourselves again.

"If you are feeling suffocated, you are definitely not alone. We all need a little retreat space for us to breathe and feel like ourselves again."
Social distancing does not equal to zero social interaction. Social distancing rules are in place to protect our physical health but it has a huge negative impact on our mental well-being. It can easily cause us to feel extremely lonely and depressed in a time of uncertainty and fear. We are social creatures after all and we need emotional connections especially when fear and anxiety is prevalent. We naturally feel more secure and safe when we are connected as a community. Our pain and anxiety can be eased when it is heard by others.