Positive Influences: Emotional Self-Care During Coronavirus

Emotional Health, Health & Wellness Article, Healthy Lifestyle, Mental Health, Physical Health

Most of us are committed to the mission-critical need to “hunker down” and put into immediate practice ALL precautions against contracting and/or transmitting the Corona virus (Covid-19).

We recognize the need to protect ourselves and others. This is also a vital part of all self-care. As humans, we not only need physical self-care, but also mental and emotional self-care — as well. Practicing ‘all three’ self-care modalities — Physical, Mental, and Emotional — will better help us get through this challenging time, especially when we are socially isolated.

Important steps in emotional self-care

Positive Behaviors and Social Contacts:

Connect (online) with people who fill your life with JOY! By emphasizing ’JOY,’ you are helping others and yourself. “Stay positive when communicating.” Encourage others to do the same. Happiness and joy are contagious (in a good way).

As well, positivity also goes a long way to boost one’s emotional state. Some say that we must be realistic. But, in our connected world, there is, at times, too much information. If the news reports negatively affect you, turn them ‘OFF’ and take a break.

Acceptance:

Also, accept what seems to be best when we cannot change it. Fighting the situation only makes it harder to move forward.

Know that it is human to have negative feelings come up from time to time. It’s how we deal with those feelings that matters. You might ask: “Why now?” or “What could have been done differently?”

Accepting “what is” will make coping easier. When negative thoughts come up, don’t dwell on them. Instead, another technique that helps is to recognize that a thought is only a thought, not reality. Sometimes our mind makes the situation bigger or more negative by dwelling on it. If the thoughts repeat in your mind, try to focus on something else. Recognize these thoughts for what they are — just thoughts.

Focus on the now:

Spending time wondering how you are going to be affected is like trying to guess what will happen in the future when no one can know that for sure. It’s essential to focus on “the now.” We can’t change the past, and we cannot see the future.

Think about all the times where you thought the road would take you in one direction, but in reality, something else transpired. Sometimes we are surprised because what actually worked out was something much better. We just don’t know. Therefore, spending time predicting is stealing time from the present.