Last year threw so much at everyone that stress has become the new norm. While stress has always been a part of life, the changes and uncertainty of 2020 brought a new type of stress. It’s collective stress, thrust upon us by an uncontained pandemic, followed by social upheaval and political unrest. The pandemic itself has meant job loss, working and schooling from home, economic uncertainty, grief, and extended uncertainty.
If you feel like you’re floundering and don’t know how to navigate all of the changes, take heart. There are still things you can do.
Acknowledge It
As the old saying goes, nothing is permanent except for change. This doesn’t necessarily make the events of the last year any easier to accept, of course. Life has been changed more than we ever imagined. Change that we can’t control creates enormous stress.
Some of us, though, have been so busy running the gamut of our changed lives that we haven’t actually stopped to acknowledge what has happened. Perhaps we’re afraid that if we do acknowledge our stress, we’ll be so overwhelmed that we’ll end up in a puddle of tears for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, we can only try to run from stress for so long. It will catch up with us if we don’t learn how to manage it. Stopping to admit the stress we’re under is the first step to learning to handle it better. And it’s important to allow ourselves to grieve and let those emotions out.
Physical Self-Care
If you’re collapsing under the weight of 2020, it’s vital to stop and take care of yourself. This may sound like a luxury. But it isn’t and it doesn’t have to be as time-consuming as it may sound.
Simple self-care steps are also what helps us manage stress more effectively. This includes adequate sleep, good nutrition, at least some exercise, and self-acceptance.
As you learn how to take care of yourself, you’ll be better prepared to navigate the changes facing you.
Emotional Self-Care
One small way to push back against the uncomfortable feeling of uncontrollable change? Decide to control those things that are in your power to control. You can control how much you choose to get involved in arguments about the pandemic or politics. If you know there’s no chance of changing someone’s mind, it’s often best to not engage.
And, remember, you still get to choose the little daily routines that can add structure, continuity, and beauty to your day, even in the midst of change. Make time to learn mindfulness techniques. Set emotional boundaries if you need to.
Pivot
This word may sound pretty old by now. After all, it’s been used frequently to talk about the small businesses that have had to adapt to the effects of the pandemic. But people can learn to pivot in their personal lives as well.
You may not want to pivot, but there can still be an element of excitement to a new beginning. New beginnings aren’t always pretty or clean (think of the physical pain and mess of human birth), but they can lead to wonderful things.
Life’s challenges can lay the groundwork for immense personal growth if we let them. Keep this in mind as you navigate the changes of this year. Moreover, let your stress be a force to move you to work towards the things you are passionate about. Maybe that’s building a new career that’s more flexible, ensuring people’s social needs are addressed during the pandemic, or some other pursuit that you find meaningful and gratifying.
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All of us will come out the other side of the pandemic changed. If you’re struggling with all of the uncertainty and transitions this year, you are not alone. Please read about our spiritual counseling and more. Then, when you’re ready, please reach out to my office. Together, we can address your situation and find ways to help you move forward.
Click here for more information on Spiritual Counseling.