During this time of grave uncertainty, it’s important to know that it is okay to reach out for help. In a shelter in place, it is necessary and required to maintain a level of isolation that under normal circumstances would be concerning. However, we are not living in normal circumstances and therefore, our psyches may be responding in all sorts of new ways. Old coping mechanisms are no longer available to us; support systems are not within reach; stability has been turned upside down. It can be disorienting for the most serene individuals and wreck havoc for those who already have underlying difficulties coping prior to the pandemic.
I just want to assure you that it’s okay to reach out for help even if you have never done so before. We are a social species and it is natural for us as humans to seek solace from another, even when what normally would have been a shoulder to cry on is now a computer screen or telephone line. We are resilient by nature and can adapt to new circumstances. However, sometimes we need each other to offer support or advice or experience on new ways of managing.
Please reach out to your friends, your family, your colleagues, people you admire and respect on the internet, your therapist, your life coach, your partner. We are in this together.
During times of despair, it helps me to balance out with what positive aspects are identifiable. I must say that I enjoy hearing the voices of professionals’ families in the background as they shelter in place and work from home. There is something special about witnessing the personal in a professional. We are all parents, children, siblings, friends, partners. How we relate to people is paramount over our job titles or duties. That is one thing I am grateful for in this devastating experience.
Blessings and safety to you.