While kids and employees are being sent home, business and schools are closing down and a dreary cloud of doubt, dread and disdain hovers over you instead of delight, hopefulness and acceptance watch yourself and your loved ones. Protect yourself, not only from this creepy Corona Virus, but from sadness and depression, despondency and devestation.
Watch yourself and your loved ones and those in passing for signs of depression which manifest as: appetite and sleep changes, isolation, hopelessness, irritability and rapid mood changes, thoughts of not having purpose or drive, decreased motivation to do things you usually love to do and most of all suicidal ideation. Watch over your elders, watch over your children and watch over your partner, friends and extended family. Check in regularly with those you care about and your neighbors. You want to make sure that they are safe and sound during this trying time.
Keep positivity in your heart to maintain your own stability and force in the world. The closing of schools and businesses should make your heart more open than ever to fun activities, love and harmony. Keep focused on keeping up with work and school assignments, and tune into brighter times ahead, and your dreams and your goals.
Keep sight of all that you love about life, bake cookies, move some furniture around, spruce up your garden. Get a new haircut, organize a desk drawer and your pantry, watch some comedy, and clear up chaos in your life and your space when that has been an issue for you. Working on clearing and healing old wounds that come up during this rough worldly dilemma is a great thing to focus on, since old trauma can color your current outlook on life in general. Ask yourself why have I carried these old burdens around for so long?
The important thing is to be calm and focused, settled and undisturbed, relaxed and feeling love inside and most of all getting good rest and nutrition.
All things shall pass. This is not the apocalypse and even if that is the worst possible scenario, that we are all going to die, let’s do it gracefully, let’s do it with dignity. Let’s not do it knocking down someone at the supermarket over toilet paper and a pack of water.
Marla Stone, MSW, Professional Lifestyle Organizer and Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff
