By Stephanie DeFazio
All of us, and most importantly, those on the front lines, are no doubt feeling overwhelmed and weary right now. The fight against COVID-19 is a challenging one that has impacted our lives tremendously. Although there have been some amazing hero moments and positive survival stories, we can all agree that this whole ordeal is weighing us down a bit.
How do we even begin to fully come to terms with the last five weeks and continue to accept this reality for who knows how long? Well, the truth is, it's difficult for us to accept what is happening, but what we can do is be completely honest with our own feelings, yes, even our negative ones. By doing this, we stay present, and begin to embrace ourselves, right where we are at this moment. A little self-love can go a long way during this confusing time.
Sometimes our happiness is captured Somehow, our time and place stand still Love lives on inside our hearts and always will.
-lyrics from How Does A Moment Last Forever, performed by Celine Dion (2017)
It's important to remember that we are still all in this together, experiencing a mixture of emotions such as grief, fear, joy, anxiety, peace, depression, frustration and disappointment (and that's ok). We are all working on our coping skills and hoping for some resilience. So, we start with a little self-love and then sprinkle in some positivity when we can.
Even though trying to be positive feels a bit crazy at a time like this, positive thinking has been known to decrease rates of depression, and give us greater resistance to common colds and diseases. A recent study even found that people who were less positive were 2.9 times more likely to contract a respiratory illness.
Self-care is also essential during this time, and that includes keeping up with a routine, maintaining health and vitality, and even taking some time for prayer or meditation. Another self-care practice that is similar to meditation is gratitude. Think about all that you are grateful for, big and small. The big stuff includes our health and jobs for those of us who have been fortunate to stay healthy and still work. For the small stuff, we can be grateful for extra walks outside, a nicely prepared cup of coffee or tea in the morning, or even that quiet time to have to chill and watch a favorite movie.
I encourage you to keep up the self-love and self-care, and after we all make it out of this moment in time (and we will), there will be some great stories to tell that we endured, even amidst the chaos.
If you're seeking some inner peace and self-awareness, the Soul Studio is continuing in May with some amazing online workshops! Check them all out here.
