This pandemic has got us, the world, in a tight spot right now. We don’t know whether to poop or go blind. And literally, who would have thought poops would be on the national stage? Certainly not I. There are lots of theories about how Covid-19 will impact us in the immediate future and for months and even possibly the next couple of years to come.
I’ve heard people talk about a big uptick in bar business when we’re allowed to mingle with folks again. I’ve also heard that we might trickle back to our previous level of activity out of an abundance of caution. I’ve read that this virus will likely cause future lockdowns whenever we’re nearing another spike that will strain the health care system. I’ve also read that the world will quite simply, never be the same again.
With so much information to sift through, it can be hard to know what to do and what to expect going forward. But one thing is for sure; none of us are control of how this all plays out. We are absolutely actors in this saga. We absolutely have a profound affect on infection rates. We absolutely have a profound affect on each other as we reach out to those near and far to provide help, support, and comfort in whatever ways available to us. And we absolutely have the power to make ourselves and everyone else around us miserable.
With all that we can influence, it would seem that we have loads of control. But actually, we don’t. We can’t control anyone’s actions but our own. We can react and respond with the information that we have available to us, which may not be the same information someone else has access to. We can try to commit to reasonable and rational actions, but what’s reasonable and rational to you, may seem crazy to another. So what can we do that helps ourselves and helps others?
"So I recommend being aware of your fear. Sit with it, feel it. Don’t worry about if Its’ going too far. Just let it be for a while, take some deep cleansing breathes..."
Continue to Practice Social Distancing and Excellent Hygiene
The two main ways this virus seems to spread is through droplets in the air (when someone coughs or sneezes). So the farther apart you from someone the better. You have a lower chance of inhaling particulates they leave behind. The second method of transmission is touching infected surfaces and then touching your faces, noses, lips, and eyes. So wash your hands a lot. And focus on not reaching your hands anywhere above your neck for the foreseeable future. And wipe down regularly used surfaces with disinfectant. Pretty common sense, but it bears mentioning.
Keep Aware of Your Fear
This is a crazy time to be alive right now. With fears for the elderly, immune compromised individuals, and even everyday folks (because the young are getting hospitalized too), we’re prone to being fearful of everybody and everything. For those of us who already suffer from anxiety (raises hand), this is surprisingly easy to handle. I thought the world was unsafe anyway, so what’s one more thing to fear.
But for others this is a truly traumatizing scenario to live through, the possibility of death lurking anywhere. A lack of freedom to move about and a lack of control to do anything to bring the problem to a standstill. So I recommend being aware of your fear. Sit with it, feel it. Don’t worry about if Its’ going too far. Just let it be for a while, take some deep cleansing breathes and then decide what proactive measures you can take to keep you and your family as safe as possible. Just put one foot in front of the other.
Be Grateful and Appreciative
It can be hard to feel grateful for anything right now. You can’t wipe your butt, can’t get groceries without hitting 4 or 5 places because we’re unstocked, go out with friends and family, visit our elderly loved one’s, leave the house for a hike, or even *gasp* go to work and interact with some other adults for a few hours, or pawn your kids off to someone else for at least a couple of hours for relief. And for folks who work in essential services sectors, they have even less to be grateful for, they’re constantly at risk for themselves and those they love. So I won’t entreat you to be all sunny, because that’s probably inauthentic. But I can entreat you pick one thing that’s okay, maybe even well and remember that all is not lost yet and that there is something positive going on in your world.
Be Proactive About Your Finances
This is a tricky situation economically for lots of folks, but especially for the poor, hourly workers, jobs that depend on you actually being at work, and gig economy workers. As such, it’s high time to be proactive about what you’re going to do about your finances. Many of us don’t have savings. And while a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures is great, if your bank and landlord still expect you to make up the back payments then you’re no really better off than before, were you?
But above all, try not to freak all the way out. Freak out some, that’s normal. We’re human, this is pretty unprecedented for lots of us. But definitely try to remain as calm as you can, because that’s when creative solutions present themselves.
Write your city council, local congressmen, etc. Petition for a clean slate. Write a press release and send it to local news stations. Join up with your neighbors and sign a letter together for your leasing company to read. I certainly can’t guarantee that things will go your way, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil. And furthermore, there is strength in numbers and the possibility of bad press. It’s a negotiating tactic that could potentially help you and your neighbors going forward.
Apply for unemployment without delay, check out organizations that give hardship grants in your state, apply for food stamp benefits. This is not a time to feel some type of way about government help. This is precisely the type of situation that calls for robust action from our representatives. To help folks land on their feet when economic factors improve. Because as long you work again, you’ll pay this back and pay it forward for someone else.
But above all, try not to freak all the way out. Freak out some, that’s normal. We’re human, this is pretty unprecedented for lots of us. But definitely try to remain as calm as you can, because that’s when creative solutions present themselves. Be as safe as you can out there and the best of luck. #covid19 #proactive #gratitude #commonsense #itgetsbetter #lifeasyouknowit
Santee Blakey is a Life Coach and Licensed Massage Therapist at Soul Growth Wellness. When she's not biking, reading, or biking, or reading (she needs new hobbies, suggest her some:-), she'll be writing and enjoying a caramel frappacino in her favorite Starbucks (this is obviously pre-Covid) *sigh*. Follow her on Youtube for her series --> Self Acceptance: What It's Really Like (A Journey).
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