Once again
Uncertainty seems to be in the air and it’s almost palpable…
Everywhere you go there’s rumours, speculation and reaction to the apparent threat of the Omicron variant. We’re advised to get jabbed, limit our social contact more and wear face masks in public spaces. All good advice for the physical health of ourselves and others, but what protection can we give our mental health at this time?
Our own Ben Harper wanted to share a few thoughts, offered humbly to you by way of response to the uncertainty we face.
1. Recognise what’s going on in your body and brain.
When we’re under stress, our bodies and brains react in a certain way. We might feel tired, physically agitated or nauseous. We might also become more ‘hypervigilant’. These are normal things to feel. Hypervigilance in particular might cause us to watch more and more news, search for more information, in the hope of finding some certainty. This rarely works as a strategy.
The important thing here is to notice what your body and brain are doing, and accept it as normal. Your body and brain are feeling under threat, and responding accordingly.
2. Stay in the present.
Uncertainty causes us to live in the many possible futures that could be, most of which will not be. Author and coach Christine Carter says:
“Don’t believe everything you think. We grieve for things we haven’t actually lost and react to events that are not actually happening. This makes us feel threatened, afraid and unsafe when we are alone with our thoughts”
Spend some time simply being in the moment, where often things are ok. Take a breath, focus in on what you can see, smell, feel, hear and taste in the moment ,and try to enjoy.
3. Talk about how you’re feeling, and listen well to others.
Talking unravels our many thoughts and allows us to bring some order to them. This can be really important when things are confusing and overwhelming. Likewise, offer your ear to others, and try to simply listen without interrupting. When someone else is able to simply sit with our thoughts and feelings, we are more able to sit with our own thoughts and feelings.
4. Be kind to yourself and others.
This is about compassion, patience and acceptance of both yourself and others. It’s ok that you have less energy and are working at less than full capacity, it’s ok you didn’t manage to do all the things on your to do list, that ‘thing’ doesn’t have to be perfect. And it’s ok that that is also true of other people. Side note though: we are often MORE patient with others than ourselves, so make sure you start by being kind to yourself .