Caring For Our Mental Wellness Amidst The COVID-19 Pandemic
Recently, the coronavirus (COVID-19) went from being the subject of jokes to being labeled a full blown pandemic. Ack! Based on my scrolls through social media, this update has caused two distinct reactions:
Some of us are in meltdown mode:
Must collect ALL the toilet paper.
Some of us are skeptical:
Suuuure its a legit health issue. Whatever you say.
Both of these reactions are understandable—and I would argue they are even protective. “Freaking out” and hoarding items gives us a sense of control; at least we are being proactive, doing what we can, and feeling a little less exposed to the whims of the world. Similarly, saying “calm down” (both to ourselves and those around us) or stating “I’ve got this, I’m sure everyone is freaking out over nothing. We’ll survive” is absolutely a means of distancing ourselves from stress or danger. If I say it doesn’t exist, then it doesn’t.
No matter where our reactions fall—I’m sure we are all experiencing some level of stress or concern. Some sort of reaction that may be hurting us.
SO! I present to you some options for taking care of your mental wellness during this seemingly out of control time.
Practice mindfullness/grounding. My clients will be familiar with the question, “How are you doing on a scale of one to ten—with ten being ‘I’m so anxious I’m about to burst into flame’ and one being ‘I just got out of a yoga class’?” Being aware of where we are on this scale can help us be mindful of self-regulating our emotions/stress. Notice if scrolling through facebook or watching the news is making our number creep up—and make a conscious decision about how high on that scale you can get before a break is necessary. If you reach, say, a seven—intentionally disengage and practice some grounding. I suggest 5-4-3-2-1 or square breathing. Give it a try, practice them, and see how much better you feel.
Get creative while meeting your sexual needs. (Of course one of these was going to do with sex). Anyone else see the many memes regarding an upcoming “quarantine baby-boom”? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens. BUT! Having lots of sexy-times means doing the opposite of what the CDC is recommending for stopping the spread of the virus. No fluid contact, people! Does that mean we can’t partake in sex? HECK NO. It means we open the door to: mutual masturbation, sexting, dirty talk, ect. It means we get creative with how we meet both our own and our partners’ sexual needs. During a time of high tension, orgasms and sexual pleasure become that much more necessary—after all, orgasms and sexual arousal can do things like increase white blood cells (increase that immune system!) and relieve stress.
Bring some -feel goods- back into your life. Check out my instastories for some pictures of Kitty Cuddles (who doesn’t feel good after seeing an adorable kitty?) Check reddit’s “eye bleach” subreddit for nothing but happy photos to get rid of images of COVID-19 news stories. Check out goodnewsnetwork.org. Remind yourself that not everything in the world is doom and gloom.
Continue counseling, if you can. The last thing we need during tough times like this is to be cut off from our support systems—including our counselors. Good news to clients at Family Solutions Counseling—we offer teletherapy, meaning that we can continue to provide care to clients during an outbreak, even if coming into the office feels ‘icky’. Have questions about this? Check out Family Solutions Counseling’s website for some answers or discuss this option the next time you see your counselor.
Remain in connection with those you love. Utilize FaceTime. Write emails. Increase your texts (just clean that phone!). You are not alone in this world—stay mindful of that.
While we all work hard to continue to take care of our health and wellness, I hope we also find compassion for each other. No matter what our reactions are to the coronavirus—this is something we are all going through together. We deserve grace, humility, and love during all tough times. We’ve got this.
