All of us are beginning to realize that life as we have known it has dramatically changed. We are at war against an invisible enemy that is wreaking havoc on our lives. Playdates for our children, lunch with friends, a steady income, worship, exercise classes, school, sports, graduations and even shopping are either nonexistent, canceled, postponed or look very different at this moment in time. Our lives have been interrupted in a huge way.
Even for the most spontaneous person, being forced into a dramatically different way of living has many of us on edge.
“During times of trauma and uncertainty, we are stressed, weary and overwhelmed,” says Dr. Gary Oliver, clinical psychologist. “Our typical response is to ‘react’ in the moment, which often makes things worse. This is our emotional brain hijacking our thinking.”
Especially during these times, Oliver says we need to be intentional about “responding” instead of “reacting.”
“In life there are only three kinds of situations: things I can control; things I can’t control but can influence, which is a larger group, but the degree of influence probably isn’t as great as we think; and things that are totally out of our control,” Oliver says. “We can’t control the COVID-19 outbreak. But we can be sure to wash our hands; distance ourselves from others; if you are a person of faith, you can pray; we can exercise to stay healthy; we can be kind and help others who are more susceptible to catching the virus.”