Blog
How to cope with what you can't control
Thursday, 21 May 2020
Hi.
I really hope the COVID-19 pandemic is not as severe in your area as it was when I wrote last month. Some places are beginning to come out of 'lockdown'. However, you may still be experiencing the unwanted, even unpleasant restrictions associated with the 'lockdown'. Whatever your current situation, my topic today may be one that you can easily relate to: how to cope effectively when the control rug has been pulled from under your feet.
During this Health Awareness Week, it is important to take care of your physical, emotional and mental health. Let's face it, there are many things in life that we cannot control. We cannot control how someone else thinks or reacts to a situation, or to us. However, we can control our reactions to all the things we cannot control.
Contextually, many relationships have been severely tested and put under great strain as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. When things we feel we should be able to control, such as the human right of freedom of movement and the right to meet with family and friends as we please, have been taken away from us, not only can our physical bodies be adversely affected, but we can experience mental and emotional distress. The situation may be made worse if we find ourselves in the same restricted space for longer periods with someone who is perpetrating abuse on us. How do we ensure we remain safe and sane?
The primary response is always ensure you are physically safe at all cost. Set boundaries as far as possible to maintain a safe distance from any form of danger. Becoming overwhelmed can lead to shallow breathing and even panic attacks. Manage your breathing by taking deep breaths. Take time out to think through what is happening around you and to you so you can logically and positively move forward. Whether it is a family member, friend, the Police, Domestic Violence helpline or a Counsellor, make a call to get the right support you need. Get help as soon as you need it. Do not suffer in silence.
Until,
Jo-Ann Rowland
Social Distancing
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
Hi.
Trusting you are keeping safe by abiding by the rules posed by the government in your location.
Since my last blog, I have to be very honest with you, lockdown has created various strong emotions in me. The good ones revolve around having quality family time, catching up on things around the house and doing some writing. However, my huge frustration is seeing so many people blatantly flouting the social distancing rules and even imposed curfews.
Lockdown, to safeguard against the virus, needs to be taken seriously. One day last week I had to get some very essential items. The supermarket I went to was lapse in its dealing with social distancing. There was an attempt to hold people outside the shop doors until some persons finished their shopping and exited the shop. However, when I was allowed in I was shocked to see the number of people in the aisles. Concerning for me, on entry, I was almost pushed over (yes, physical contact was made!) by a male as he walked past. I quickly grabbed less items than intended and headed to the checkout. By the way, I had on my mask and gloves. While I waited at the checkout, people were navigating the aisles in close proximity to me. I had to say to shoppers a number of times 'I am sorry but you are in my space'. I left the shop with a clear lesson. Do not enter a store if you are unhappy with the size of the aisles in relation to the number of shoppers in it. Social distancing is critical if the fatalities from Coronavirus, COVID-19, is to be minimised. Let's enjoy the lockdown period and follow the safe social distancing rules. It will save lives.
Until,
Jo-Ann Rowland
Coping with anxiety over the Corona Virus
Thursday, 25 June 2020
Hi.
As the pandemic subsides and lockdown restrictions start to ease in many countries, even if potentially temporarily, as many attempt to navigate into ‘normal’ life, whatever that entails, there is an awareness that somethings have definitely changed or about to be changed. There is a lurking sense of a 'new normal'.
As I listened to recent discourses, I get the clear impression that those coming out of lockdown fall into three broad categories:
Category One: the resistant or antagonists who have the most invested in their pre-Covid-19 way of living. These are the ones who mostly oppose change and would do everything possible to get back into their comfort zones. They are the 'I can't wait to get back to the good old days of doing the things I have been accustomed to'. For those in this category, the schools cannot open quickly enough so that their children can return, thereby releasing them from the demands of homeschooling, into a 'normal' routine. They will not accept the 'new normal' easily.
Category Two: the 'indifferents' who simply drift along, placing no-demands on themselves to embrace change. They will say 'It makes no difference to me because nothing has really changed in my life. Why must I risk discomfort by going after something that may turn out to be the same old, same old?' Those in this category will not easily risk possible rejection at that job interview.
Category Three: the 'new seekers' who strive to embrace change because they are dissatisfied with the way things have been pre-Covid-19. They have a need, which change offers them an opportunity to fulfil. This may be starting their own business or attracting a different customer target group. They are ready and motivated to find alternatives and adventure.
As you take a moment to reflect on your current status and the category you find yourself in, ask yourself why you are in that category. Would you prefer to be in a different category; if so, why? and what will you do to make the transformation?
Until
Jo-Ann Rowland
