Being Mentally Strong During Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Beyond

Lately life has become full of uncertainty, much more than we’re used to. We don't like uncertainty. We like to know what’s coming around the next corner. We like to know what to plan for, what and whom we can count on, what to expect. We thrive on structure and routine, even if sometimes it feels oppressive.

The Coronavirus, COVID-19 Pandemic has muddied our collective waters. The uncertainty we feel is distressing. The “what ifs” exhaust our minds and our bodies.

But we won’t let them. We can choose to show up with intention and purpose, for ourselves and for others. We won’t give up on our mental health, or on each-other. This is your simple guide to being mentally strong and emotionally resilient during Coronavirus, and beyond.

Feeling Your Emotions

It is vital for a strong mindset to acknowledge and feel your emotions. If you’re feeling anxious, stressed, worried, terrified, energized, de-energized, sad, angry, frustrated, furious, resolute - yes! Those are all valid emotions, you can feel them.

Create space for emotions by focusing on how they feel in your body.

• Does stress feel like a buzzing in your fingers,

• Does sadness feel like a heaviness in your chest?

• Attend to that sensation, give it shape, color, weight, a name

• When you create space for emotion, your body can let it pass through

Talk to someone, share how you feel. It is okay and good to communicate your emotions to children. When done with intention and purpose, you will teach them what emotions are and how to cope with difficult emotions in a healthy way.

Showing Up for Loved Ones

We are profoundly social, tribal, communal, and interdependent. When you hear people say “it takes a village” they mean, it takes a village. It takes a village to accomplish most things of value. It take a village for us to protect our future. You are a part of our village.

At this crucial moment, our duty to our family, friends, and community is to temporarily keep our distance.

Because right now physical contact with others spreads the virus, staying away is an act of love. By staying away we protect our family from getting ill and suffering, or from watching us suffer. By keeping our distance, we protect our community from suffering and disease. We can protect our future by staying home.

This article explains the purpose and effect of social distancing.

Showing Up for Yourself

No, you will not neglect your mental health. You are going to show up for yourself, every day. Let's talk details.

Start of Day Ritual: To begin each day with intention and purpose, it’s important to have a ritual to start the day. It will help you create structure and predictability. It will help you to start the day on your own terms. This is key for emotional resilience during times of uncertainty.

You can choose your own Start of Day Ritual, but it has to be simple. Otherwise you won’t do it.

Here are some ideas:

• meditation,

• yoga,

• short reading,

• prayer or devotion,

• stretching,

• journaling,

• gratitude journaling.

I don’t recommend checking your phone or consuming news media when you wake up. The world can wait 10-30 minutes for you to feel prepared to face it.

The Big Three: For each day, have three key things you must do no matter what. These tasks are personal and guided by your values. Perhaps tomorrow it’s important for you to be outdoors, to be intimate with your partner, to call your parents, to write an article that can help others (yep, that was mine for today). Doing your Big Three will keep you moving forward, with intention and purpose. When we act in line with our values, we feel right, we feel connected to ourselves, we feel mentally strong.

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If you need some extra support, get in touch. Dr. Anna Yam provides online therapy for anxiety and stress in California and New York.

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