I never though I would be writing an article about a virus… But the world is a strange place – it always has been, and it will continue to be after we get through this crisis.
I am freewheeling this post, with no plan other than to put something I hope is positive out there in these complicated and dizzying times. Mental health is just as important as physical health. And sharing our stories brings us all a little bit closer together…
Don’t know about you, but personally I have been struggling to grapple with the shear speed and scale of the implications relating to COVID-19.
What is happening right now is simply heart breaking.
Seeing the news as it happens, is just staggering.
Before continuing, if anyone has lost a loved one due to this already – I am deeply sorry, and you have my sincere condolences. Everyone’s experience through this crisis will be shared yet vastly different.
For a world which has grown so interconnected and intertwined, this virus has hit us where it hurts. Some of us will be impacted at very different levels – be that physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, etc… But the time at the moment is to take action, to minimise the damage and to help those more vulnerable than ourselves.
Fortunately there are not many times in our lives, where we will be confronted with a global crisis of this scale.
I am fortunate enough to have friends and colleagues across the globe. Hearing everyone’s story over the last few weeks, we are all sharing in this horrible global situation. But I believe these shared experiences can bring us all closer together.
Times like this, being mindful of your emotions and practising gratitude, can really help your mental health.
Personally, I have noticed that at times there have been two very distinct battles/sides occurring within myself. And I can boil this down to ultimately logical brain vs emotional brain.
Logical part of my brain is trying to understand the bigger picture, the reasoning and logical arguments for what we are seeing. But obviously some things cant be reasoned with.
And that is where the emotional side takes hold. With feelings of defiance, anger, despondency, sadness, needing of distractions, grief, gratitude, and love. We are all in this rollercoaster together, and we will get through it.
I try not to fight the feeling or emotion, instead I to practise mindfulness and acknowledge the presence of that emotionally. But also rather than just letting the emotion, be it positive or negative take control, I am trying to be curious about what exactly is making me feel that way. Questioning myself as to what is causing this feeling.
One thing I hope to get out of this all, is a better understanding of myself.
So, as I wrote at the start. This is a bit of a weird post, but something I just felt I needed to write.
Resources:
So to round out this post, here are something things I would like to share with you that caught my attention over the last few days.
These are a little Melbourne/Victoria heavy, but feel free to share your own videos/streams/etc that are getting you through this…
- Zoos Victoria are live streaming animals while the zoos are shut
- And check out this Zoo Keeper smashing dance moves to entertain people.
- ABC Radio Melbourne has a page re: entertaining and educational streams and live casts.
A little more serious, but a fascinating article shared to explain a little about the feelings of grief during the lockdowns globally.
And even a Trailmix about Creating Peace while in Pieces from Leah McGowen-Hare. Focussing on changing your mindset and creating calm.
Trello shared a few tips to avoid becoming a WFH Hermit.
And if you want to go ‘down the rabbit hole’, and deep dive into some of the data resources that are out there about the crisis, Tableau/Salesforce have a site for you.
Most of all, stay safe!
Please feel free to share your own comments, stories or even links below in the comments.