[ad_1]
Refinery29
6 ways to relieve your “winter pandemic fears”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 17: A woman wearing a mask walks up the stairs during a snowstorm in Bethesda Terrace Central Park on December 17, 2020 in New York City. New York City received 6 to 8 inches of snow in a nighttime storm that led to local power outages and transportation delays in the first northeastern storm of the season. The pandemic continues to have long-term repercussions in the tourism and entertainment industries. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld / Getty Images) It was around mid-August when I first realized how much I dreaded winter in a pandemic. It was a scary Sunday feeling. In September, I could feel apprehension setting in, even though winter was far away. I was not alone in my apprehension. In November, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris tweeted: “We are facing a gloomy winter if we don’t get the coronavirus under control.” Of course she was right. On the first official day of winter, 1,963 people died in the United States. Today, in January, the number of deaths per day has almost doubled. Although I tried to focus on the positive news of the vaccine rollout and distract myself by seeing Home Alone again, my stress only increased – and after the holidays turned into something like despair. . “The sense of loss for people is more apparent in the winter,” says Steven Meyers, PhD, clinical psychologist and professor at Roosevelt University in Chicago. “The pivot to winter will be more difficult, because although the stress will remain relatively constant, the outlets to cope that many people have used will be increasingly difficult to find. He gives this analogy: “Imagine walking around in your daily life with a backpack that weighs 40 or 50 pounds,” he says. Sometimes you forget that you are even wearing it. But it’s still there, and if you are given extra weight (a violent, racist and anti-Semitic attack on the nation’s Capitol, for example), and you have no chance to put it down (more security possibilities in outdoors) encounters as the weather gets colder) it can get unbearable. While our habits may need to change during the winter, there are things you can do to alleviate your stress and make your first pandemic winter more bearable. Start with these strategies backed by experts. Aim for ‘Mental Moderation’ “Some people imagine this is the worst time of their life, creating anticipatory anxiety that can add burden on top of what they are already going through,” says Dr. Meyers. Others may lean too far in the other direction and, in their determination to remain optimistic, actually fall into a “toxic positivity” frame of mind. “The middle is the best,” says Dr. Meyers. “Keep in mind that there will be challenges, but you can be resourceful and you can overcome that.” Setting conscious intentions for yourself can keep you from tipping too low or too high. Intentions can become a sort of goal or mantra, and creating one that embodies “mental moderation” will help you stay on common ground. “You can choose something simple, for example: my goal for this winter is peace,” suggests Alfiee Breland-Noble, PhD, MHSc, psychologist and founder of the mental health nonprofit, The AAKOMA Project. . Write it down on a sticky note and put it somewhere you’ll see it often, make your intention a recurring calendar event so you can see reminders on your phone, or just repeat it before you go to bed on evening. Finding Chances to Move Moving more has been shown to improve mood and decrease anxiety, but as the weather gets colder we tend to go out less. If you can, it may be worth it to layer and track your daily walks or jog. Or get creative to create movement in your inner life. If you like to work out, broadcast a fun new lesson. Or dance to the music you love, try learning a TikTok dance, or just pacing around while talking on the phone with friends instead of sitting down. Take Isolation Seriously If there’s anything we’ve learned from the last year, it’s that physical isolation is very, very difficult – and not good for us mentally either. Winter will make it harder to see people in real life, and it’s worth the extra effort to stay connected. “As winter dawns, don’t be too proud to ask for help,” Breland-Noble says. “Text your friend and say, ‘Can I call you?’ If they don’t respond, text someone else. Don’t sit down and assume people don’t care for not reaching out. They are probably also minding their own business. Phone calls, FaceTime sessions, email gratitude channels, and socially distance (or snowshoeing, if needed) layering and walking will be life savers over the next few months. If you’re away from FaceTimed, consider adding structure to your meetings: start a virtual book club, find interesting classes you can attend through MasterClass or even LinkedIn Learning, or try game nights. Give a ‘future you’ gift Put something (or better, certain things) on your calendar that you can look forward to – the first day of spring, the last day of January, grand opening day or a Zoom PowerPoint party fun that you planned with your friends. “It’s a strategy used by people who run marathons,” says Dr. Meyers. “They set short term goals to get through the long race. “Even though time feels like time is moving slowly, it keeps moving. Winter is coming to an end. A vaccine will be distributed. And, although it’s difficult now, there is an end date for all of us. Knowing that this can be a great source of comfort. »Putting events on your calendar might seem a bit tricky, but reminders can give you a bit of convenience when you need them. Celebrate Small Wins Even relatively minor accomplishments can make you feel really good, reports the Harvard Business Review. Something as small as a successful baking project or finishing a puzzle is enough. But to let happiness seep in, you have to take the time to savor these research wins in the Journal of Positive Psychology shows. Here are some simple ways to savor small moments of joy: Write each day in a gratitude journal; commit to taking a full five minutes to truly celebrate a happy moment right after it has happened; share your victory with your friends or family; take a photo of something relevant to the moment, save it to a specific photo album, and scroll through those photos the night before bed. These actions help to make your moments of joy more “sticky”, giving you more resilience to get through difficult times as well. Create Support Systems Seek professional help, suggests Dr. Meyers. Your insurance can cover therapy, but if not, many therapists work on a sliding scale to help patients who cannot afford to pay their full fees. You can also check out the Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, a national non-profit organization that can help you find low-cost care. Anyone can benefit from additional therapy and registrations, especially in such a trying year. Like what you see? How about more R29 goodness, here? Real People On COVID-19 Online Shopping AddictionHow To Deal With Your Coronavirus Anxiety5 Proven Ways To Prevent Morning Anxiety
[ad_2]
Source link