It's Okay to Not Be Okay

It's Okay to Not Be Okay

04.29.20 | Counselor's Corner | by Lisa Blackwood

It's Okay to Not Be Okay

    Managing the mental and emotional toll that can be happening during the COVID-19 crisis may be difficult. It is very challenging to work through the emotions that are arising no matter who you are and what circumstances you’re facing; these are challenging times.

    Managing the mental and emotional toll that can be happening during the COVID-19 crisis may be difficult. It is very challenging to work through the emotions that are arising no matter who you are and what circumstances you’re facing; these are challenging times. We are all struggling with different emotions.

    It is important to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, important gatherings, parties for special occasions and events are being canceled. It can be hard to deal with the emotional response of the canceled events when they are often related to some of life’s most exciting milestones i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, proms, school attendance and friends, vacations and even funerals, it is natural to feel grief.

    Some have lost loved ones. Some have suffered through the debilitating effects of this illness. Some have lost their jobs, their income, and most have encountered much disruption to the normal flow of their daily lives.

    Many are experiencing emotions such as fear, anxiety, and perhaps even despair. If these emotions persistent it may lead to loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, or having a hard time experiencing joy or motivation. Also, if you have a prior history of anxiety, changes in moods, substance abuse or trauma you may be very vulnerable at this time.

    Often, we do not feel we can be vulnerable worried that people may perceive that we are not able to do our job well or that we will not be as effective as we are supposed to be. 

    If you are not coping as well as you normally do, it is important to talk to trusted friends and/or family about what you are feeling. It may be appropriate to talk with a mental health professional. It can be comforting to share what you are experiencing and feeling with those trained to help. If you are worried about how this unprecedented time is affecting your emotional well-being please reach out.

    Pause for mindfulness

    What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath— the most sacred of times?
    Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling. Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is. Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life. Center down. And when your body has become still, reach out with your heart.
    Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful. (You could hardly deny it now.)
    Know that our lives are in one another’s hands. (Surely, that has come clear.)
    Do not reach out your hands. Reach out your heart. Reach out your words. Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move, invisibly, where we cannot touch. Promise this world your love– for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we all shall live.
    Lynn Ungar American Poet and Unitarian Minister

    Lisa Blackwood MS MA LPC-S #19803 LCDC#4065 EMDR Certified