Monitor your thoughts and guard against negative thinking.
If you spend a lot of time thinking about the pandemic, wondering how long it will last, worrying about whether or not you and your loved ones will get sick, and focusing on all the things you can’t do right now, then you need to intentionally shift your thinking. It’s not that you should never think about these things; we all need time and space to process our experiences. But the time we spend on it should be limited. Consider setting a finite amount of time to think about your worries and griefs, set a timer, then when your time is up go do something pleasant and engaging to get your mind off these things. Also, consider limiting how much you expose yourself to social media and news outlets. It’s good to be informed but these types of media can easily lead to rumination and obsession thinking, especially if you’re prone to anxiety.
Stay future-focused and remind yourself that this too shall pass.
Though we don’t know when, we know that this pandemic will eventually come to some sort of resolution. Either the infection rate will drop down close to zero, a vaccine will be developed, or more reliable treatments to reduce the severity of infections will be discovered. Remind yourself that the inconveniences, the loneliness and isolation, and most of the losses you are experiencing are temporary. Keep thinking about what you will do when the pandemic is over. Take this time to evaluate the direction and quality of your life up to this point. Are you satisfied with the path you’re on? Are there values out of which you’re not actively living? Are there areas of life you’ve neglected to the detriment of your health, happiness, relationships, or sense of purpose? What do you want more of in your life? Less of in your life? Are there ways you need to course-correct, either now or once the pandemic is resolved, in order to be living the life you want?
Socialize while maintaining social distance even when you don’t feel like it.
People are finding creative ways to stay connected. Families are having weekly virtual game nights, support groups are meeting via video conference platforms, and houses of worship are meeting online or in socially distanced ways in person. This kind of social interaction, even though it’s not as satisfying as good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation, is critically important to our mental and emotional well-being. Most people I’m talking to are coming out of the last few months feeling isolated and lonely. We are functioning at a relational deficit. So it’s important for us to start rebuilding our emotional reserves even if in less than perfect ways. On the other hand, after months of isolation, some people are finding that they don’t want to reengage with others. This is perfectly normal, especially for us introverts who are now out of practice with socializing. But it’s important for us to fight that inclination and to force ourselves to rebuild those relational skills. Human beings are by nature social creatures. We need interactions with other people even if we don’t feel like we do.
Give yourself and others some slack.
Are you snapping at your family members? Are you having trouble keeping yourself motivated at work or school? Are you plagued by a profound, but vague, sense of unhappiness or dread? It’s okay! In my experience, these are very common reactions to our current circumstances. This is not to say that you get a pass for all of your bad behavior and poor choices. But rather that nobody is functioning at 100% right now and we all need some extra grace. Let’s be realistic, almost no one alive today has experienced a global disaster on par with this pandemic. It was bound to take an emotional toll and no one was prepared for it. So, be patient when your kids act out, try not to respond in kind when your spouse lashes out, and acknowledge to yourself that you’ll do better when life gets better.
Make some future plans so you have something to look forward to.
Plan a small trip and take whatever precautions you need to make yourself feel relatively safe. Even a small change of scenery and routine can do a person a world of good. Plan one night to get some extra good carry-out even if it means you have to drive some distance to get it. Set times to meet up with people you enjoy. As much as living in the moment has its benefits, I find that most people need to have pleasant things to look forward to as well if they’re going to maintain their quality of life.
Recreate that which you really find enjoyable and energizing.
Again, creativity is key here. Can you adapt things you used to do, before the pandemic, in order to make them work now? Get some friends together and have a virtual happy hour. Check out party game apps which allow you to play group games remotely. Order the supplies and take an online art or cooking class. You get the idea!
Make yourself laugh.
Especially at the absurdities of our current situation. Watch funny TV shows and movies. Watch comedy specials. Plan silly activities with family and friends. Find funny Covid-19 memes and social media videos. It’s amazing how a belly laugh can brighten a dark mood.
Delve deeper or for the first time into your spirituality.
If you are a Christian or practice some other form of organized religion see if your faith community has resources available to help you try out some new spiritual disciplines or to connect with other believers, for encouragement and support. Pray or meditate. Get into nature and notice the beauty and intricate details, of the creation. Many people sense the presence of the divine in nature. Faith practices and traditions have been a source of comfort, strength, and support for human beings for thousands of years. So, don’t ignore this source of powerful coping tools, in the midst of this current crisis.
