Hey there!
As I was browsing the Internet, I noticed a lot of suggestions on how to keep ourselves busy while we are staying home and quarantining. Distraction is nice when you are bored (to read more about dealing with boredom, click here), but what about all the emotions that have accumulated since the outbreak of this pandemic? Is keeping busy alone sufficient?
Understanding and processing your emotions require constant reflection and self-awareness. Given the profound impact of this pandemic, having the appropriate guidance while processing these emotions is crucial to your mental health wellbeing. Sometimes, times like these might trigger memories and emotions associated with past experiences that are unpleasant. You might not be aware of the connection between past experiences and the current pandemic, but your mind and body react to them in similar ways. This could lead to complex emotions that could be overwhelming, which is why it is beneficial to have the appropriate guidance while sorting through your emotions.
If you don’t have a therapist and you are feeling down and anxious, I highly encourage that you to speak to one. Working with a trained psychotherapist/counsellor allows you to explore and understand your emotions, and to properly process your thoughts and feelings. You would also learn skills to cope with the challenges you are experiencing right now. Please remember that you are not alone in this, and there is help out there. All you need to do is reach out.
Prior to finding a therapist that you feel connected to, there are a few things that you can do in the time being.
Journaling:
Journaling not only allows us to document our day, it also allows us to express our thoughts and emotions in the form of words, colour or shapes. It is much more difficult to analyze and organize our internal experiences without being able to see or read them, and journaling serves that purpose. By writing down or painting/drawing what you think and feel, you are translating your internal world into something tangible - onto a piece of paper that is right in front of you. You are also able to monitor the ups and downs in your mood by tracking the changes each day.
Be curious about your experience, especially during this pandemic.
This is likely a first for you. “Social distancing”, “lockdowns”, these are relatively new concepts that we had no prior experience of. Three months ago, we probably didn’t think that this was how we would be spending our spring season.
While journaling, try not to filter your thoughts. Let everything out - the vulnerable feelings, the dark thoughts, the irrational desires. You are the only one with access to this material. Don’t worry about being judged. You can even shred pages that you don’t wish to keep. The process of shredding and eliminating is cathartic in itself.
Alternatively, try to distance yourself from thoughts related to the inconvenience and losses associated with the pandemic. Take a step back, and look at how different (maybe even interesting) life has become. This gives you the mental space to ask yourself different questions. You come to learn more about yourself – what you value, what brings you happiness, what annoys you etc.
What is it like being with your partner, roommate or parents all the time?
What is it like not being able to visit your friends, to hug them or to talk to them face to face?
What is it like having to be as efficient as you can on your trip to the grocery store? In the past, you might not have needed a grocery list before you did your shopping, since going to the grocery store is a routine. Now, in order to limit the frequency of which we leave our house, a trip like this requires a lot more planning. What do I need? What do I do if what I need is out of stock? What if I have to wait in line for 20 minutes before I can enter the store?
Life is so different now from what it was a few months ago. What have you learned from this experience? Express it in words, pictures, or other forms of craft.
What are your needs? How can you continue to meet those needs with the current restrictions in your life?
Do you feel that you are benefiting from the extra time at home? Some of us might actually come to realize that we appreciate this time alone and the opportunity to stay in. Extroverts, on the other hand, might hate every moment of this. This might be new information to you, or maybe it isn’t, but you are definitely learning more about yourself as you reflect and ask yourself various questions.
Make a Scrapbook or Keepsake Box:
If you don’t like to write or draw, you can make a scrapbook. Find images on the Internet or in magazines. Grab some paint, markers or colour pencils, as well as scissors and glue. Include everything relevant to your current experience in the scrapbook. You can also make a keepsake box out of a shoebox. Create a collection of mementoes for this interesting subchapter of your life.
Journaling Apps and Websites:
If you prefer the use of technology to the conventional method of journalling, there are gazillions of apps and websites out there that help you document your life. There are also mood tracking apps that allow you to monitor changes in your mood. Some apps allow you to snap and upload photos. Remember the “A Photo A Day” challenge? Try that! The challenge is to discover the uniqueness of each day while you are staying in. Did you try a new recipe today? Did you feel particularly connected to your partner? Or were you bored out of your mind and stared out your window all day? There are so many elements in our life that are overlooked because we let them slip by without thinking much about them. By paying that extra effort to reflect and create, you are simultaneously processing your emotions.
Dance, Sing, or Play a Musical Instrument:
Music is such a powerful tool that allows us to express our feelings. Sing out loud or dance to your favourite tune. Pick up your guitar or ukulele. Dancing and singing are not so much about understanding and making sense of your internal world, but they allow you to express and perhaps process what you are feeling.
Physical Exercise:
Similarly, a good workout allows you to express and release pent-up frustration/ negative emotions that might have been trapped in you. Go for a jog, join an online yoga class, break a sweat. It gets rid of toxins and the negativity in your body. Furthermore, exercising boosts dopamine (the happy hormone) levels in our brain. So what’s there to lose?
Give these a try and let me know how they went! Remember, you are not alone in this! When you’re ready, contact me for a free consultation so we can figure out what you need to help you through this difficult time.
Take care!