3 Powerful Steps to Reduce the Impact of the Pandemic
Although during the pandemic I have not lost any loved ones, I haven’t had to homeschool children, or faced unemployment, it doesn’t mean that life right now is “normal.” I would imagine many of you feel the same.
After being stuck at home for months, Nate was so excited to finally leave for college. Within two weeks, he got, as my kids like to say, “The Roni.” (Feel free to use “The Roni,” it adds some levity to the situation.)
Immediately, I booked a flight (no joke) because all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around my son and protect him. I was scared and overwhelmed thinking about him being all alone and so far away from home.
After I booked my flight, I was so worked up that I felt compelled to take a walk.
Breathe. In. Out. Breathe.
Honestly, Nate had been ready for quite a while to forge his adult life. The last thing he needed was his mommy coming to save him. This was hard for me to digest.
When I returned from my walk, I canceled my flight. I thought to myself, “He’s got this.”
Of course, I had sleepless nights and heart pounding moments for the next few weeks, but I made it through—as did he.
I share this with you not to air my dirty laundry, but to normalize the struggle that most of us are dealing with right now.
Unlike an earthquake that causes destruction for a moment in time, the virus’ devastating “aftershocks” have no end in sight.
Stressful situations at the moment are endless: adult children working from home, school-aged kids adjusting to online classes, and aging parents sharing fears of dying alone.
We are left to support our loved ones and at the same time manage our own fears. It’s hard.
The way to move through feelings of overwhelm, frustration, and fear during a pandemic is to:
Become aware of what you are feeling.
Accept what you are feeling, knowing it’s natural you would feel this way given the fact that we are in a pandemic.
Make a conscious choice of your next move forward.
My hope is that we can normalize these feelings for ourselves and for our loved ones, so we are collectively able to find a way to be resilient and enjoy life during these challenging times.
