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Is Coronavirus taking a toll on your mental health?

As a healthcare provider still going to work during the coronavirus pandemic, I see the toll that all of this fear, uncertainty, change, and social distancing is taking on our mental health.  People are experiencing more anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, loneliness, and overwhelm.  Even those of us who are safe and well and not personally affected by the virus itself are still feeling the affects of having to spend more time at home, change the way we do things, and practice social distancing.  Nothing feels normal, and it's unclear if anything will ever get back to "normal."
A lot of us are used to being BUSY.  We thrive on being busy, productive, and having goals and plans.  We love routine.  We love predictability.  We love a full calendar filled with activities.  This "being still" thing is hard.  We are mourning the loss of community and all the things that filled our days.  Coronavirus has wiped our calendars clean.  Literally everything we looked forward to is cancelled.  Places where we congregated on a regular basis are closed.  Everything has changed.

I am still reporting to work, but it is also very different.  Social distancing and preparation for a "surge" in our community has caused lots of change in our clinic.  Most patients are being seen through video visits.  It's quiet, it's slower, it's strange.

It's in the stillness that my mind tends to race.  It's an overwhelming feeling.  I almost feel like I was able to function better going 100 miles an hour with ALL the things to do than I am with less things to do and more hours in the day.  I was so used to functioning at BUSY, it seems harder to function at STILL.

It's been 32 days (more for some people) since our lives were turned upside down.  32 days ago, our kids were supposed to go back to school after having spring break.  My husband was supposed to report back to work as principal.  But this pandemic changed everything.  "Crisis" schooling was put into place, my husband started working from home, things like Zoom meetings became the new way of connecting, toilet paper became impossible to find, and everything that involved community was halted.  And it still hasn't returned to normal.
What I do know is that we are all in this together, and we'll all come out of this together.  It's all about how we use this time and find ways to cope with the change and the stillness that determine whether we THRIVE or simply SURVIVE.  Here's what I am doing to keep from going insane, and I bet you are doing some of these very same things.

1. I'm getting outside and exercising every single day.  Movement has the incredible power of changing my mind.
2. I'm finding a creative outlet.  I'm writing, painting, chalking up the driveway with my kids, taking pictures, reorganizing and decorating my home.
3. I'm consuming tons of positive content like podcasts, worship music, books, and funny movies.
4. I'm staying connected while still practicing social distancing.  I'm writing letters, texting friends, connecting virtually, and interacting with an online community.
5. I'm creating "alone" time for myself.  I wake up earlier than the rest of my house to have time to journal, read, write, and drink my coffee.  I also go on some solo runs in the evening.
6. I'm staying grounded in my daily habits that were already in place before all of this started.  I am creating "normalcy" in the abnormal.
7. I am focusing on gratitude and searching for joy each and every day.  We can still find so much to be thankful for even in times of crisis and change.
8. I am filling my day with purpose and focusing on how to use this time to grow.  We are catching up on home projects, cleaning and organizing, spending quality time with our girls, cooking and exercising more, and focusing on one day at a time.  At the end of this, I hope to have another book written and ready to publish by the end of the year.  I hope to have new habits and routines.  I hope to have a greater appreciation for community.  I hope to come out of this stronger and more creative, and I wish the same for you!

How are you using your time?  How are you taking care of yourself and those around you?  How is your mental health and what can you do to make sure you don't just survive this season, but maybe even thrive in it?  Make sure you are filling your cup every single day.  After all, you can't pour from an empty cup!

"Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10

~ Allison

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