Strategies to cope with stress in crisis situations

Dear Synergy patients, friends, and families,

Our team at Synergy Centre put together this material to help you overcome this trying time, due to COVID-19. Not only do we face the risk of getting sick with the Coronavirus, but we also see the first signs of a major economic crisis and maybe even a personal, self confidence crisis. In these times, many of us might feel negative emotions like anxiety, anger, or despair slowly taking control over our minds. We see negativity everywhere. We function like a poorly set car alarm that goes off with no reason in the middle of the night and wakes everyone up. Keep in mind that every generation had their trials but eventually they all prevailed. It is useful to analyze what our parents, grandparents and great grandparents did during their hardships, how they coped and returned back to normal life. The psychologists have few suggestions.

1. Staying the course, persevere in personal rojects:

Despite our momentary interruption of our daily lives, our short and long term goals have not changed. Concentrate on those and adjust as needed. You know those plans you have? Work towards them! You wanted a new job, a new career, learn something new, clean or renovate the house, start a family, have children? Now is the time to focus on those big things and get them started. Every morning, plan the day! Approach every day just the same as you did before. Now you can do the things you didn’t have time to do before.

2. Keep your mind active, focused on the future

Our minds have a tendency to wander to worse case scenarios–don’t let them! By focusing on the future and keeping our minds active, we will be less susceptible to give in to fear. Write your goals down and brainstorm how are you going to achieve them. Read a book, watch your favourite show, write, learn a new language, discover a new food recipe, get some exercise.

3. Create a new lifestyle routine

Working from home can throw off the usual routine. You can get up, eat, work whenever you want. It is tempting to lose all sense of time. However, it is important to make your own routine and stick to it. Routine decreases anxiety. Through routine, you take control of your lifestyle and prevent negative feelings from dictating your life. In the end of the day, with a routine, you have a feeling of control and personal efficiency, essential for emotional balance.

4. Character development

The crisis is like a chemical reactant, it tends to bring out all our hidden features. If you have a tendency to worry, in crisis this might be amplified. But the crisis offers a great opportunity for personal development and realignment of core values. The character develops much stronger in adversity than in luxury or safety zone. A difficult situation is like a coach. You can use it to develop a quality you didn’t have or wasn’t well defined. We can develop patience, empathy, strength, courage, perseverance, emotional control. We have the opportunity to get out of the crisis better than we entered it. Think about one thing you want to improve. Practice it, work for it every day, no matter how little. You’ll emerge as a better person after this crisis will pass.

5. Keep Positive, enjoy the extra time at home!

If you are at home because of closures or social distancing, take this moment to enjoy and play with your children, have some fun, catch up with some chores you put on the back burner. Be grateful of this time and reconnect with family and friends. We have video calls now at our finger tips, so we don’t need to travel! Allow yourselves to enjoy the sunny days, your children’s laughter, the aroma of a hot tea, and all of the little pleasures of life

6. Be empathic and stick together

Help your family, friends, and kids. Support others that are not as lucky as you are. You can help a sick neighbour with groceries shopping or support a recently quarantined family. As a group we are stronger than as an individual. You are not alone. We might get irritable with our kids or spouses but remember, we are in the same boat. They cope the way they can and some depend on us or look up to us for guidance, comfort and support. Be kind and emphatic, listen more, be helpful and less judgemental, forgive and smile more.

A breast cancer survivor once said that the cancer was the best thing that happened to her. It helped her to refocus on life and put her true values in order. This crisis will have some positive impact as well and will potentially change the way we do and understand things. And that is okay! Have faith and hope for the future!

Like any other crisis, this one shall pass as well. It is up to us to emerge from it stronger and better on a personal level.