Everyone's experience of COVID 19 is completely different. Some people having been feeling more stress than others especially those who are in isolation and working from home. Our realities have changed with this pandemic and mostly we can all relate to the fact that uncertainty has really turned things upside down from a social, economic, work and psychological point of view.
The one thing that keeps most people anxious is whether this is the new way we are all going to be living life moving forward. Has our past "freedom" been redefined from now on and are restrictions the new way of doing everything from social distancing to dating to job interviews to dining out? Is our optimism slipping?
This psychological phenomena is very similar to grief, in fact we could say that most people may be experiencing this "anxiety and stuckness" as a result of the losses (sense of security, jobs, routine etc) we are experiencing as a society and then individually.
Some people are continuing life as if it isn't happening (denial), others are afraid that life will never be the same and feel down (depression). What we can see is how our ability to be resilient is certainly being tested.
Flattening the curve is our goal as a society but some people are getting fed up and wondering how to continue to stay in isolation and not feel "stuck" in grief or this never ending uncertainty.
If you are stuck in the COVID19 grief cycle you may be experiencing:
a) loss of interest: socially, activities, hobbies or meaningful experiences, all seems monotonous.
b) sense of time and day is scrambled: all your days feel the same. Nothing eventful to write home about. A weekend feels like a weekday.
c) boredom: Less things to do, given everyday feels like you are just the same thing over and over again. Can't think of anything else and even if you did, refer to point 1 - not interested anymore.
d) deflated about future plans: unsure as to whether to create some travel plans as that may be different from now on. The idea of doing a road trip even locally seems unexciting but more like something to break the monotony.
Ways to navigate the above points:
1. Talk about it with your friends or family/neighbours. It's important to not assume that this is only happening to you or that you feel unable to express your feelings because it's a burden. Share the load and in the meantime, keep connecting with others
2. Staying informed is necessary but most of your days should be news free. Focus on other world topics and discuss these. Create other activities that allow you to distinguish weekends from weekdays even for every day of the week.
3. Try and make use of the time you have at home, given that it's highly likely things will change and soon you will be wishing you could be home working on a rainy day instead of having to step out into the cold. For instance; organise, fix, paint, clean your house and garden.
4. Dream anyway. Our fantasy allows us to be hopeful and creativity may strike in other ways you didn't expect. Go on the road trip anyway, sometimes we just need to make that initial move and things flow quickly on from there as we remember how much fun we can have with the simple things in life.
Resilience is a must in times like these. Remaining positive when we can and expressing our emotions so we don't feel so alone is a bit step towards becoming unstuck
By Psychologist Magdalena Lopez
About Me: I'm a caring & compassionate Psychologist in Melbourne, helping adults, couples and families in counselling who have anxiety, depression or relationship concerns, live a happier, healthier life.