We are all feeling the bite from the virus outbreak and economic changes which are pushing us away from each other. These unexpected changes can be some of the most stressful times especially when combined with the current state of the world. Add to your discontents- social distancing, the unemployment situation, a possible disaster or the potential death of a loved one and your life can become very devastated.
As if the current health and economical situation were not bad enough you quickly start to notice periods of mood swings from helplessness to all out anger. You may even strike out at those around you that you care about the most as a result of your frustrations. Depression may quickly over take you. You often may feel alone when trying to deal with your frustrations and anger. One simple way to deal effectively with these types of emotions is to let yourself and your family members outwardly express their pent up emotions. Do even suggest that someone “snap out” of their mood as this tends to deny the seriousness of the persons feelings.
An emergency may force you to make rapid changes within your life which drastically disrupts and alters your usual routines. This is the greatest cause of stress in most individuals.
Being unemployed and feeling unable to properly prepare for any sort of emergency also provides a means of stress. During these times your stress is being felt by all your family members as well. In this case it remains vital that you communicate with and fully support each other. Naturally, some responsibilities and usual roles will need to be modified until things get back to normal again. If you as a family can adequately meet the challenges that are being set before you then your chances of survival will be increased greatly.
One of the first rules established in Special Forces training is in order to cope with your current situation you should keep your body in a healthy condition. Eat wholesome and balanced meals, try to obtain plenty of sleep and above all perform some sort of exercise on a regular basis. This process allows you to take a break from your surrounding stressful situation. Other approaches include:
o Take a vigorous walk around the block. (Put on a Mask)
o Watch a video or a movie. (Netflix is a savior)
o Take a long shower or a bath
o Listen to your favorite music.
o Do some gardening or yard work.
Stress often can bring about certain symptoms that affect the body. These symptoms are dry mouth and throat, headaches, hot feeling, dizziness, grinding your teeth, loss of appetite, tightness of your neck or shoulders, increased heartbeat, heartburn and cold sweats. These are normal but if they fail to go away you should plan on seeking professional assistance.
