So here we are in an era where we need to stay physically away from others although humans are inherently social. So how do we manage the uncertainty of this pandemic and how do we stay connected?
1. Focus only on what matters
If you are struggling with finances but your family is healthy, you are fortunate! If you are "stuck" at home but you have food, shelter and have more time to spend quality time with your loved ones, you are fortunate! Consider adding activities that you wished you had time to do, such as playing board games, watching movies or going for a walk or biking. This will give you opportunities to have fun together; something that many families have long forgotten. You also now have more time for spiritual growth/mindfulness, reflection, planning, and finishing a project that you've been putting off. It's all about perspective...it really is!
2. Don’t dwell on problems
It's OK to stay abreast of the current situation with COVID-19 but don't make it your main focus. Decide a time of day when you will check the news but then move on....watch other shows, engage in other activities. Where we focus our attention determines our emotional state. You can't control the pandemic but there are things that you can do to to keep yourself emotionally healthy (see #1 above).
3. Connect with your loved ones
Yes, we can't have physical contact with many of our family and friends but we are fortunate to live in an era where technology provides us opportunities to have visual and audio options to communicate with our friends an family. So thankful for that!
At the end of the day, we need to remain calm to make good decisions in the face of uncertainty. An easy way to do this lies in something that you have to do every day anyway—breathing. This task may seem too easy or even a little silly, but you’ll be surprised by how calm you feel afterward and how much easier it is to let go of distracting thoughts that otherwise seem to lodge permanently inside your brain. This too shall pass, we will be OK.
