I am not a medical health expert. But currently I have no problem saying that we are living in scary times. The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has greatly affected all of us, as well as our neighborhoods, cities, states, countries, and the world. In doing my part, I have been instructed by CA Governor Newsom to “shelter at home” for the foreseeable future. This means that I am not going to work, not spending time with friends or family, and pretty much spending my days within the thankful comfort of my home, with 2 wonderful pugs and a man that claims to be my boyfriend (which he is). However, this does not mean that I am avoiding keeping in touch with my family and friends.
I regularly check in my with parents and sister. Group text messages have started to get a little weird in conversation topics, but needless to say, we are still family. I call and FaceTime with friends as we find ourselves with an unprecedented amount of free time to catch up on life activities and discuss self-care practices that help us get through each day. I love hearing about the ways that my friends are getting creative with exercising at home, finding new recipes, and simply being creative.
Social Distancing. Self Quarantine. Self Isolation. All terms that primarily impart the same message - avoiding physical contact with others. But this does not mean to avoid contact completely. These precautions may physically keep us from spending time with our loved ones, but it does not mean that we have to cut ties and avoid people. This is a time that it is most important to stay in touch with the people you care about - phone call, FaceTime or Skype date, e.mail, text, you name it, do it!
On top of checking in with others, I implore you to check in with yourself. How am I feeling? What am I thinking? From personal experience, I have been angry and sad. I have laughed and also laughed so hard that I cried. I’ve held space with my own feelings of anxiety and fear, joy and calm, as well as a myriad of other emotions. This is a time that it is important to allow ourselves to feel all the feelings. Do not deny yourself an emotion. You waste more energy avoiding experiencing an emotion than actually feeling it. So cry for a few minutes. Be angry for a few minutes. Laugh - it’s good for you! And it is completely okay to feel any and all emotions.
If you are looking for information regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), I recommend going to credible sources such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
Please stay safe and do your part to reduce the spread of this disease.
