Some Thoughts on Coping During this Crisis
As we all know, these are uncertain and unprecedented times we are living through. Who could have guessed that in just a short couple of weeks we would be reeling from the rapid spread of the coronavirus. But it’s important to keep perspective and practice healthy habits to not let fear overwhelm you. As a working parent, I have struggled to maintain a balance between the work I need to accomplish and supervise my children’s e-learning and activities. It has not been easy to keep them away from their screens. It’s easy to click on the news and feel overpowered by the efficiency with which this virus is infecting people. But we need to take a deep, collective breadth and hit pause on our urges. Here are a few dos and don'ts that have worked for me:
Do:
Go for a walk or a run. I have done this in my own neighborhood and have felt better for having taken one. Just getting some fresh air can be rejuvenating.
Stay in touch with family and friends; social distancing should be physical but can be overcome with technology such as FaceTime and Zoom.
Stay engaged with your work. I know this has been quite hard if you are a working parent with kids underfoot. However, having a clear purpose and focusing on the things that need to get done at least on a daily basis, do help.
Be optimistic and choose your words carefully, with children especially. They can easily gauge your mood and feed off your sense of fear. Talk less about the statistics of the virus in front of them. Create optimism even if you aren’t feeling it. Managing your emotions at this time is critical.
Don’t:
Check the news every ten minutes even though it’s tempting. Take a break from the relentless nature of breaking news and the 24-hr news cycle. Of course, I’m not advocating that you cut yourself off from the news but do take a break from the news and do it in limited doses.
Check social media frequently even if you’re tempted. Depending on what your preferred channels are, you could be contributing to raising your own anxiety level because there are so many amateur opinions and bad information out there.
Feel the need to check the stock market. Stocks have been higher the last three days but markets are likely to swing wildly in the coming days. Resist the urge to keep checking and feeling upset by it.