Dealing with COVID-19: Your Relationship with YOU is How You'll Get Through This
By Carly Fleming, M.Ed. RP
Registered Psychotherapist
How are you doing?
We are all going through so much together in the midst of this global pandemic and yet we need to remember that we are all individuals with different needs, different struggles and different sore spots. If you’re anything like me, your social media usage has gone WAY up in the past week or so. We want to feel connected, we need to see our struggles represented in the world at large. Keep reaching out and feeling the strength of your online community. But also please remember to stop and check in with you. Just you.
Can you do this with me right now?
Close your eyes, take a long deep breath and re-introduce yourself to you.
Hey, nice to connect with you!
Where are you carrying the stress in your body? Notice the stress and breathe into that area. What are you feeling emotionally? Let yourself feel it. Let yourself cry if you need to. Or just sit in your emotional place.
Everything is ok here.
Fear is ok. Anxiety is ok. Overwhelm is ok. Anger is ok. Sadness is ok. You are here to look after you, you’re going to be ok. Use some gentle self-talk to help you feel at ease and create acceptance for whatever you are feeling right now. Just for a moment.
Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash
Ok, now that you’re feeling more centered, let’s talk about your relationship with yourself. I know, we are hearing a lot about staying connected with others, managing relationships virtually. But your relationship with yourself is what’s going to get you through this. Be gentle, be kind. What do you need? Do you need some routine? To make some daily goals? Or do you need to throw any thoughts of a routine out the window? Maybe you’ll find out that you need to spend more time like this, being connected to yourself. Maybe you’ll find out you need to laugh, to breathe, to run, to hug. In this place of centered-ness, you’ll know what you need. And whatever you need is ok. Show yourself some grace. This is no time for shoulds. This is just you spending time with you, trying to make sense of what’s happening.
Try to do this every day. What you need today will be different than what you need tomorrow. You’ve got this.
References and Resources
Unicef How teenagers can protect their mental health during coronavirus (COVID-19)
CTV News How to protect your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
TIME How to Stay Physically and Mentally Healthy While COVID-19 Has You Stuck at Home
Center for Workplace Mental Health Working Remotely During COVID-19: Your Mental Health and Well-being
World Health Organization Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak