Signs of pandemic stress may require you to take a breathe, and regroup. But how? Dr. Bart Rossi, Ph.D. joins the Wink News team to discuss.
Optimism is a great emptional booster. However, it can also set premature and unrealistic goals, that when unmet, plunge us deeper into despair.
The President recently insisted on such an end date as Easter Sunday. Many Christians were thrilled and celebrated the news. Then reality took center stage and forced President Trump to reverse that decision and extend the social distancing until April 30.
So, it is important to stay optimistic for sure. But at the same time, one should also be realistic by understanding that this is currently a fluid situation without a hard end date. And to do that requires more than holding our breath and waiting. It requires a conscious effort to realign our daily activities to our current circumstances.
Some of the things we can do are engage in fun activities to ease the pressure of family confinement or solitary boredom.
Dr. Bart Rossi Political Psychologist discusses mental health in America
There are signs to watch for that might indicate that stress within you I(or someone else) is mounting. Denial is one. Those that paint a rosy view of an artificial end date are projecting, not coping. Anger is another. As pressure from stress builds, keep an eye out for others (or yourself) being short-tempered, and/or lashing out.
Locked in confinement, even within your own home will take its toll. So it might be a good time to practice Yoga or engage in still meditation. Other activities to reduce stress might include reading, playing or watching games on TV with the family; and/or home improvement activities. These are all good ways to relieve stress.
Dr. Fauci, the US director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has become a trusted voice during the pandemic. This is despite some on the far right trying to undercut his credibility with conspiracy theories.
While he encourages people to be optimistic because we will, ultimately, overcome the crisis, he also warns that the total cases could spike into the millions with deaths 100,000 – 200,000.
Signs of Pandemic Stress
Many people are listening to projections for an end date to the pandemic. We are and should remain optimistic. We also have to remain realistic. We simply don’t know when it will pass. Setting false end dates might give us a momentary boost, but then when the date is shifted it can be an emotional letdown. Placing artificial end dates out there can cause more damage to the psyche when then don’t come to pass.
Check us this episode of Wink News for more thoughts from Dr. Rossi.
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