Getting Through This Together

The abnormalities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a lot of the strained or broken infrastructure we have in our society as well as our own personal lives, and many people's mental health has been affected from mildly to detrimental, even leading to suicide.

We are still in the thick of the pandemic, but please don't lose hope. If you're tired of the negative news, then please give yourself a little electronics break and take a little walk.

Take care of your physical health, make sure you're sleeping enough (7-8 hours a night), eating healthy and regularly (no skipping meals and limit fast foods), getting physical activity or exercise (gardening or cutting the grass counts), and staying connected with your social support system (even if it's just that one person who consistently checks in on your or picks up when you call).

Sometimes, it's good to talk to a professionally trained counselor to process your feelings and verbalize your thoughts, while learn new skills to understand your fears and anxieties, as well as learn new coping skills and perspectives. If you have Employee Assisted Program through work, that is a great resource to tap into and ask for counseling service, if available. If not, please look through your insurance website for a list of counseling services that take your insurance. Otherwise, BetterHelp is a good resource for online counseling some of my patients had benefited from and gave good reviews. Getting help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength and courage to be honest and be willing to grow through the challenges.

https://www.betterhelp.com

It is very important to take care of our spiritual health as well. We cannot fully understand why God allowed this to happen, but while we witness a lot of loss and sorrow, we also see many good things occurring during the pandemic, and we are challenged to re-evaluate our priorities and consider how we interact with others. God does not waste our suffering, so may this be an opportunity that pushes us closer to God as we seek answers and comfort. I think of a quote attributed to Charles Spurgeon, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”

Please take care of yourself and one another.