The coronavirus situation moves the world and every one of us
In the past, we have experienced several events talked about literally all over the world. Why is it that we remember much better what we did during the fall of the New York twin towers than what we had for lunch yesterday? Emotionally powerful experiences are usually imprinted in our memory almost permanently. So far, however, we have not experienced a world issue that directly affects each of us. 'Till this day.
Text: Kristýna Kočandrlová/JuiceUP
Like with major events in the past, the emotions associated with the current coronavirus pandemic are deeply imprinted in our memory. Every day, the media share a plethora of news related to this virus. States are announcing new measures. We are watching, absorbing and trying to adapt to the new situation. It can be a lot to take in a period with such an influx of information, changes and emotions. What can we do?
The current crisis situation is largely unknown to all of us. We can hardly predict its development or duration, so it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. No wonder that the conditions naturally evoke in us feelings of insecurity or fear. However, all of us deal with the situation differently, and it is a challenging task for everyone. Many measures are being set progressively, and their consequences are immediately thrown on us without us being prepared for them.
And everything that happens significantly affects the balance of our work and personal lives. Many of us work from home, some take care of our children or family simultaneously, and together we try to be very efficient and productive. However, this may not be so easy with a surge of commitments or a turbulent change. In short, we cannot manage everything or organise and fill in our time correctly, which, together with the health concern, can increase our nervousness and intensify our fear of the situation.
Many experts came up with several methods of how we should approach such a situation. We at JuiceUP believe in interpersonal support. We offer clients the services of our psychologists and here are some tips for all of us:
Share your feelings and thoughts with another person.
It sounds simple, but this step can be all the more beneficial. Talking about how we feel and how we are experiencing the situation is still not common. Some even consider it inappropriate. However, social support, identification with the other's situation or an empathic acceptance significantly reduce our level of stress. Therefore, when this situation makes us deal with the same issues, it plays a vital role to manage it together.
Know how to rest
Even in a home-office situation, it is essential to find a moment of peace and time for yourself during the day. We now share a common space with other family members most of the day, we spend most of our time in the virtual online world or take care of others and do not have much time left for ourselves. Today, we cannot estimate how long the coronavirus will be here with us, and therefore we need to have piled up the strength that will supply us with energy later. So let's not forget our favourite music, exercises, hobbies or to learn something new.
Include relaxation and breathing exercises
The moments of "self time" are often well combined with relaxation and breathing exercises when feeling strong tension. The essence of the activities directly affects the calming process and helps manage our emotions.
Break down your day
Setting up a regime or daily program is widely mentioned these days. And it is understandable that not every one of us succeeds in fulfilling it for many reasons. Therefore, it is not necessary to plan every hour of the day, rather to set a time of the day for specific activities so that we have time for work, duties and rest, and thus can maintain our daily balance.
We are going through a very demanding period, and in the amount of worries, tasks and information, it is, therefore, important to not forget ourselves and our mental well-being. If you would like to talk about psychological support for your organisation, be sure to write to us, otherwise, I wish you as much peace as possible and I am going to exercise for my mental well-being :-)