COVID 19 and Mental Health

C is for Creativity -- Creativity is key to resilience. Creativity helps us think outside the box. It allows us to turn challenges around so we can view them from all angles. Creativity is also critical in finding solutions. Feeling trapped or limited is merely another opportunity for putting a new creative twist into action. It is also good to note that incubation allows creative ideas to grow. Take this time of confinement as an opportunity for allowing new ideas and self-discovery.

O is for Optimism – Optimism opens the doors to possibility. It keeps us out of victim mode and allows us to reframe each challenge into an opportunity. Optimism is knowing that it is the cracks which let the light in and the quiet in which we can hear the birds sing. Optimism gives us the sight we need to see through new eyes.

V is for Validate -- Every one of us needs validation, the acknowledgement that what we are thinking, feeling, and experiencing is a valid part of the whole story. Validation starts with self. Dismissing our own thoughts and feelings can cut us off from ourselves and subsequently from others. This is particularly important to note during a time when we are feeling cut off and isolated. Talk to someone and listen well. Know that each of your experiences is valid and all voices are worthy of being heard. 

I is for I Can – Knowing we have the capacity to act, whether it is to change a thought or take a walk, keeps us out of stuck. Feeling stuck or immobile increases anxiety. Even with limitations, we reduce our anxieties when we focus on what we can do. Focus on and create a list of what you can do to give this new experience meaning. 

D is for Discernment – This is the garden of wisdom. It is the Serenity Prayer in action. It is accepting the challenges we must face, courageously  doing what we can and making the changes we must. It is acting in the wisdom that we are all interconnected, and the realization our actions make a difference. It is knowing that lack of action is also a choice and an action. Choosing to not act increases limitations and makes confinement suffocating. [J1] When we act in wisdom, the strength of the whole grows. 

19 is for 19 minutes a day (at least) for exercise and meditation 

Meditative behavior (meditation, prayer, yoga....) helps our brains stay healthy and even grow! It gives time for the dust to settle so we can breathe easier and connect with life in a healthier manner. Exercise has numerous benefits. It can keep our mind, body and soul in shape, while giving us a sense of control and keeping anxiety at bay.