Wow, this coronavirus thing… It’s just not going away.
Probably every single person reading this post in January of 2022 is experiencing the virus as being very much within their circle of family, work, and friends. It’s likely that all of you are being affected by it directly in ways that you have not been before.
Today’s post is only an attempt to say, yeah, things might be hard for you — or, if you don’t feel like you’re being personally affected right now (which is GREAT if that’s the case!) then this is a meant as a comment for compassion, that others in your life may be having a rough time.
After two full years of this pandemic and now the exacerbation of all of the same stuff we lived through before, with school closures in some places and mask mandates in others, then you may be feeling utterly exhausted, or just sick of it all, or your nervous system might be in a state of low-grade activation at all times.
If you’ve found yourself being snappy or sensitive, or maybe not wanting to get out of bed, or maybe indulging a little too much in substances or activities that numb you (can be anything from alcohol or weed or gaming or sex or potato chips or donuts or reddit or a wide array of other things that are fine in moderation but not so great when they’re done to excess) — that’s OK. This statement of “that’s OK” isn’t meant as a free pass, but we’re calling out the reality that things are incredibly stressful again.
If you can, try taking a break from the computer completely. A walk in nature can do wonders. Sunshine on the face and body. Vitamin D in wintertime is particularly important.
If you can, try reconnecting with some people (in ways that are safe), or take a step back towards a healthy habit you may have let slide or not made time for.
The stress impacts of coronavirus and this long-term experience we are now in of what seems to be a never-ending pandemic are cumulative and real. It’s essentially a trauma that we are collectively going through. If you have had mental health issues, it’s understandable, and please find ways to seek support.
This might be talking it through and being real with a close friend or two.
Maybe it’s time to seek out professional support through therapy.
If it’s gotten extreme, there is help with the peer support service of Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741 to connect with a live human being who is there to text with you or talk, no matter what is going on.
If you’re feeling that this isn’t that big of a deal, then that’s awesome too; we’re not trying to suggest that you should be feeling awful or that there’s something wrong with you if you’re not depressed. If you’re doing fine, then this is only a mention that others are not, and to be kind. If you have greater reservoirs of capacity for navigating this particular phase, then yay! and how awesome.
Or, if you’re feeling snippy or sulky or touchy or any type of negative thing, there is nothing wrong with you. We’re simply not done with this thing yet, and it’s hard to make sense of.
If you haven’t seen this series yet, then maybe this is good for a laugh.
(It might also be interesting to go through those again, even if you had seen them before; you may find it useful to remember and track the events of the past few years, captured that way.)
No matter what, the truth of it is: This too shall pass.
That may not sound true in the moment, but at some point we’ll look back from a new point in time, having survived this and gone on to (hopefully!) better days again.
Tell us what you think.