By: Willis Cooks, MSSA, MNO, LSW
Reel Urban News COVID19 Series
I first learned of Coronavirus / COVID19 back in November 2019. At that time, it seemed like a new illness to hit the market like a new toy or car. I didn’t take it seriously because there wasn’t a news outlet reporting on it. Fast forward to March 2020, Los Angeles is on lock-down because of it.
An order to stay at home, “Safer At Home”, was issued to the city of Los Angeles in an attempt to further control the outbreak of the COVID-19. This order, which seems like a very mild case of Martial Law, only allows people with “essential activities” to leave the house. Anyone who is outside of their home and does not fit the criteria of an “essential activity” may be fined or imprisoned. Granted, putting it like that sounds kind of harsh but I guess these are the means we must go to to keep people safe.
On one end, I get it. However, my clinical intuition begins to set in and I can’t help but think of those people whose mental well-being may be struggling with all of this. COVID-19 is currently affecting millions of people in various ways. We all are adjusting to it differently but some may be taking it harder than others. My hope with this piece is that you find some tools that may assist you with this adjustment.
Don’t Be Afraid To Cut It Off
Earlier, I stated that I heard about the virus in November. There was no lock-down, no mask shortages, no empty grocery stores, no cancellation of events, and no one was working from home unless your job already permitted you to. Traffic was still booming, the stock market was still up, and your city didn’t look like a ghost town.
Now, due to one thing, everything has completed switched. This one thing, we have full control over. We can turn it off, turn it on, control our settings, and once again, turn it off. This one thing is the media. Without the push from the media, I most likely would not be typing this right now.
So don’t be afraid to cut off all ties to the media. If that is hard to do, change the settings of it and what comes to your device. The media has a tough grip on the level of anxiety for many people. Cutting it off and limiting the amount of media you take it will greatly improve the stress you receive during this time.
The Sign You Needed To Shift The Focus To You
The correlation between physical health and mental health is very strong. Both have a direct effect on each other. If you feel sluggish due to a poor diet, you may lose motivation. If you have a low mood, you may skip the gym. If you do not like your appearance when looking in the mirror, negative self-talk may take over your day. This might be the sign you needed to shift the focus of your health to you.
Or maybe, you are in a place where you struggle with being alone and you avoid that by spending all of your time with other people. Make no mistake, it a very beautiful thing to spend time with people you care for. Those moments may bring you happiness during those dark times and that will be much needed. However, being comfortable in solitude is an extremely powerful tool that will allow you to gain control over many aspects of your life.
Whether it is shifting the focus to your health or gaining comfort in solitude, these times may be the sign you needed to shift your focus.
Clear Up Those Tasks On The Back Burner
I’m talking about that room you were supposed to clean, those clothes you were supposed to wash AND fold, calling that family member you’ve been meaning to call for weeks now. The things that we place on our to-do list that always gets pushed back, this is the perfect time to complete them. Our busy schedules make it easy to forget those that aren’t high on the priority list but as our days develop, so does that list. The bigger it is, the more unlikely it is for us to do it. Well, during these times, lets clear that list up.
You do not have to tackle the in one day, I would recommend you not to. Take care of one task per day, or maybe two, but just enough to keep you busy after your daily routine has been completed. These times may award us with more free time than we are used to, let’s be mindful of using that to our advantage.
Ask For Help
Lastly, if you are still struggling with these times, ask for help. If your therapy sessions have been in person, I am sure your therapist has a means of providing tele-therapy. Check-in with them and formulate a strategy to get through this. If you do not have a therapist, my colleagues at Thelese Consulting Group are providing counseling services specifically geared towards creating strategies and tools that can be utilized during this time. Click the link and contact Wendy Talley, LCSW, DSW-C for an easy and affordable way to get through this.
COVID-19 may be anxiety-producing just like anything else in life, if you can learn how to turn a negative to a positive, you have won.
