Corona Virus related loneliness
Taking care of your mental health in Corona Virus related loneliness
Working with clients online over the past few weeks, since the Corona Virus hit the UK, there’s one thing I’ve noticed above all. In the words of one client:
”Talking gave me permission to understand what I’m feeling”
As one writer put it, we’ve gone from 60 to 0, in just a few days. Consequently, this has had an emotional effect on all of us, in one way or another.
From feeling uncertain and under threat, as is normal for our species, most of us went into fight or flight.
As a result, some people went into massive productivity, with exercise, new hobbies, and creating ways to help. Some people went into freeze, quiet and needing space. Others felt emotional, sensitive, tearful, frightened. Some welcomed the chance to slow down. Some went into denial. And some of us exerienced all of these at a rapid rate.
How you feel is not necessarily how another person feels. Similarly, how one person copes isn’t right for everyone. All of these responses are human, normal and vallid.
For those who are struggling in any way at the moment, the first thing I’m noticing that’s really helping, is acknowledging, giving permission to, and expressing, how we actually feel, in Corona Virus related loneliness. Preferably to someone who can remain impartial. Therefore, this is a good time to choose to be someone who cares how you feel.
- Give yourself time to adjust. Don’t be surprised if you’re more tired than usual, need more space, or are more tetchy or compulsive than usual.
- Handle one thing at a time. Moment to moment. Bit by bit. Day by day.
- You’ll go through what you go through. We all will. You will still be who you are.
- Notice self criticism or ‘shoulds’ (I should be working harder, I should be making the most of this time, I should speak to all my friends on Whatsapp, I should be ok…)
Corona Virus related loneliness
Many of my clients in solo isolation are missing touch and feeling disconnected. However, you may also be feeling this, even in a room full of family. This is a time when we may be triggered into our deepest worries, our most familiar wounds, our most painful patterns, and our compulsive behaviours. The hoarding that went on is a prime example of this. You might find that your usual obsessions are ramped up at the moment.
Connection audio
Feeling lonely is not a pathology. We are mostly all feeling it at the moment. Some, because we miss our usual company. Others, because we are stuck with company we don’t usually have to see so often. Also some, because we often do anyway. Whichever, we are called to be creative now in addressing how we feel. So here’s an audio that might help:
Helpful articles
I’ve been regularly posting articles addressing emotional wellbeing at this time, on my facebook page. Here is a selection of the most popular ones:
Coping-with-loneliness-in-self-isolation
Now-is-not-the-time-for-self-improvement-being-with-the-trauma-of-pandemic
That-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief
Our-brains-coronavirus Fight or flight
If you want to keep up with these, here’s my facebook page:
Talk to me
Finally, if you or your friends or family want to talk to a professional, I have appointments available by telephone, and online, via Zoom or Whereby. Whereby is free and easy to use. No downloads and no sign up. It’s easily accessed in any browser via my chat room link.
One off appointments or more regular sessions are welcome at this time.
Helping you overcome the things that hold you back
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