As this pandemic has unfolded, I thought for sure I would be a complete wreck- curled in the fetal position, unwilling to leave my house. While I don’t leave my house for more than a walk with my dogs, I am feeling ok. Am I worried? You bet. I have a husband who has been battling some mysterious lung issue since October, a son who has landed in the ER on more than one occasion with an asthma attack, and parents and a mother-in-law who fit the high risk profile. I have numerous people I know and care about battling cancer. I am scared of it reaching my loved ones and the medical community being too overwhelmed to help them. If I continue down that worry road, though, my mind goes to some pretty dark places pretty quickly- so I just try not to. All I can control is where my family and I go, how we practice basic hygiene, and what goes on in our own household. I have to let the other stuff go or it could get ugly fast.
I just wanted to hop on here to offer some tips- things that are helping me keep anxiety and depression at bay when they are certainly trying to beat down the door. First of all, I check the news only twice a day- once in the morning and once at night. I take about 15-20 minutes to scan headlines, read some articles, and get an idea of where we are as a world, a nation, and a community- and then I let it go. I can’t change it; I can only do my small part, which I am doing. I scroll through FB still, more than I would like to admit, but I have made it a point to join some uplifting groups, so my newsfeed is filled with beautiful pictures, positive posts, and people who lift my spirits. I have been doing a lot of reading and napping…because one leads naturally to the other- or is that just me? Finally, I am really trying to stay close to God. I am praying, reading scripture, and reflecting each day. I feel confident that He is in control, which also helps my anxiety considerably. Good will come of this, though it may not be readily apparent. I am in no way downplaying what is happening around the world and in people’s lives. It is scary and awful and confusing and sad. It is all those things and will get worse before it gets better. However, we can find some positives.
Here are some of the positives that I have seen:
- People are coming together (metaphorically speaking) to help out their neighbors with information, food, toilet paper, lawn mowing, words of encouragement, and what have you.
- We are being forced to slow down and appreciate the many blessings all around us. As in introvert, I’ve been preparing to be socially isolated my whole life- but now I actually have to do it, so there’s no guilt! I am enjoying time with my husband that we don’t normally have (lunches together as we work from home, watching movies, taking walks). I am enjoying my walks and noticing the beauty all around me. I am connecting more with the people I love and care about.
- The world is seeing who the real “essential” people are- and it’s not professional athletes, movies stars, and the Kardashians (good grief!). It’s the health care workers working endless hours and risking their lives to save ours. It’s the teachers working tirelessly to stay connected to their kids and figuring out how to best teach them moving forward. It’s the retail workers who are putting their health at risk so that stores can stay open to provide food and other necessities. It’s the local lawmakers who are working around the clock to keep us all updated as things change. It’s the bank tellers who are exposing themselves so that you can continue to pay your bills and have access to your money. It’s the law enforcement people and the armed forces who are on the front lines keeping us safe- and will continue to do so as the pandemic worsens. There are so many more that we are just now really appreciating.
- It is quieter when you are out and about. Our walks are much more peaceful, our drives are less congested, and life is just going at a beautiful pace right now. My husband and I drove around yesterday in the hinterlands for a couple of hours, just appreciating the beauty all around us (and looking for land)- instead of the 4 walls we’ve been looking at all week.
- We are all appreciating what is really important- family, friends, good health, a roof over our heads, jobs that continue to pay us for now, food, our pets, good books, funny shows…you get the idea. We went from barely noticing these things as we went from one thing to another from the time we woke up until the time our heads hit the pillows again at night to having all kinds of time to notice the plethora of blessings that surround us daily.
I know this is a very scary time, but don’t let it drag you down into a frantic state of worry and panic. Don’t stick your head in the sand, either, though. Check into the news once or twice and then let it go. Reach out to others to talk and laugh. Look around you and appreciate all the beauty that you’ve been blessed with. Control what you can control and let the rest go. You can’t change it, so why worry about it (all those therapy sessions are really paying off- ha!)? Take this time to do some things around your house that you’ve been meaning to do. Play games with your family. Enjoy some fresh air in your backyards. Most importantly, I would strongly encourage you to connect with God. Share with Him your worries and concerns- and listen for his answer. Dig into scripture. Follow some people on FB (Rick Warren and Lysa Terkeurst are two of my favorites) who give you daily encouragement from His word. We will come out on the other side- hopefully with a renewed appreciation for the important things in life!
Your turn: How are you finding peace in all this? Share with others by commenting (click the heading to do so)!!