Like many of you, I’m sure; I have been working hard to make sense out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the layers of our lives that are subtly impacted to change the way we view our days and routines.
The disease is real, unlike what I hear from some who are ‘tired of staying home and social distancing, and don’t want to wear a mask anymore…” I can assure you that no one likes to stay home, work from home, social distance, or feel restricted in any way. The alternative is potential harm and illness, if not to yourself, to others.
It is essential to understand that wherever you travel, whomever you interact brings to your meeting up with them, all the relations and interactions they had before this present interaction with you, and you do the same for them. Each interaction brings the same for each party involved.
The point is; if you cannot trace who and where a person has been, you are at risk for exposure. To decrease that risk, you need to wear a mask and social distance.
The mask, which is now mandated by New Jersey, Governor Murphy, is to be worn whenever you are in the public space (e.g., walking your dog, doing a run, biking, shopping, etc.).
The correct use of masks covers your nose and mouth and is secured. Social distancing is to be done whenever you are with others in public and private spaces unless living together. Handwashing with soap and water is imperative and smart whenever you use or touch anything that is not from your natural space.
So why are we so distressed? Why do we want to argue and react with anger so quickly? Could it be that we are sensory deprived of our social interactions and the joy that we get from them? Is it that we ‘expected this to end at a certain time,” and it’s continuing with no end in sight? Maybe it’s because our children can’t live or learn in a normal way, and they are getting hooked on video games, and we fear their lack of socialization will impact their future interactions?
This time also has presented an opportunity for all of us to experience heightened emotions as we are less distracted and socially isolated. The impact of this isolation is a raised level of anxiety or dread.
Some of us have also lost family and friends to the virus or another illness, and they died alone in the hospital as visitors were not allowed to visit at the peak of the pandemic in our tristate area. Other states in the country are in the pandemic mode are where we were in March and April and May of this year. We hear on the news reports of the spread of the virus, and we start to worry about it returning us to the ‘stay at home orders.’
Worry is a good thing. It gives us an opportunity to think of what we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Worry comes from our thinking brain. It exists to protect us and help us prepare for events that may have a negative impact on our lives.
Sometimes, a concern can turn into ‘bad worry’ yielding you to perseverate, remunerate, and create a vicious cycle of worry that will turn into an anxious and panic behavior.
Anxiety is real. It’s good to know that it is generated from our limbic brain where emotions are processed, social relations, and group relations are when the limbic system is at its best. Anxiety has waxed and waned over the past half of 2020 as we have had to learn how to social distance, change how we interact with loved ones, and how to meet new people and limit our group interactions.
The concern with anxiety can turn into physical symptoms such as chest pain, bad feelings in your gut or stomach, and a sense of impending doom. Heart rate increases and respiratory rate may increase, and before you know it, the thoughts can bring one to a panic state.
The good news is that you can use an imagery or visualization technique to control the anxiety before it gets to panic. Imagery uses the right side of the brain, which is now able to become most valuable in letting you imagine good things and happy places, using all your senses, and relax your mind, body, and spirit, and spend time breathing out anxiety as you breadth in visual images and memories of good times and happiness.
An additional technique that is helpful to control the conscious and thinking worrying mind and associated emotional limbic responses is to write down what is distressing you. One or two sentences is all you need. Then create three columns labeled: What I can change about this; what I can’t change about this, Do I have the wisdom to know the difference? Fill in the columns with your answers.
Then think, do I know someone I can talk to who has the wisdom to give me more insight and understanding to pursue and calm myself and move ahead with my day and activities with better control.