It can safely be said that most of humanity is in the throes of a post-Covid hangover. Symptoms of this hangover include confusion, uncertainties, insecurities, and general overall anxiety. Unlike that a few too many margarita hangovers, this one isn’t going away.
The head spins, fogginess, and confusion are lasting several weeks, and according to many governmental experts, it may continue for many months. We have been longing to wake up feel normal and stable again, to put our feet on the ground and feel secure. Wouldn’t it be easy if we could lie down, take an aspirin and stop this perpetual wave of Covid chaos? Just take a pill and poof, all better, clarity, headache gone.
In fact, many of us are realizing that our notion of normalcy may need to be redefined. In many cases, our very lives may depend on it.
Collectively, our mental and emotional health is hanging in the balance. An untold reality is lurking in our pandemic wake. Mental health professionals are seeing a huge rise in suicides, addictions, and depression. This grim reality has taken a backstage place among the stats being presented in the main stream news. It’s time to look at the emotional toll it is taking on all of us. Wouldn’t it be great to have a blood test to determine post-Covid mental and emotional instability?
Truth is, we have a long mask-wearing, 6 foot social distancing road ahead of us, and the light at the end of that tunnel is blurry to say the least. So, what is the answer now? Clearly, no one really knows.
The thing is, during this time, we have looked to authorities that seemingly know much about this virus to help us find the solutions to this global problem. It is now for all of us to see that governments and health officials are at a loss to know anything for certain about this pandemic. It is a scary reality and the unknown course of action have become debilitating and paralyzing for us.
Our culture teaches us to rely on others to make all things normal for us, and lately things are not going our way. Ask anyone desperately looking for a roll of toilet paper.
We are so used to quick fixes that we don’t even know what to do when solutions to our problems are unknown. More importantly, we have given our power over to those that “know better” to tell us how we must continue living.
In fact, we have been programmed our whole lives, to depend on others to give us advice. Our ability to look within ourselves to find our own coping mechanisms is a foreign concept. This is the biggest wake up call of all. Resiliency during this hangover is not some fluffy self help advice, its imperative for higher functioning, period.
We have to understand that in order to maintain our sanity, we must create lives for ourselves that embrace these hangover side effects.
We must find a new normal amidst all of this uncertainty and barrage of negativity, and it’s not going to be easy. It takes a powerful will to create a new perspective of emotional normalcy. It takes discipline and effort to change the narrative in our heads. Instead of the gloom and doom, we must try on a new default thought, one of acceptance of greater possibilities. Creativity and inspiration are powerful traits to find deep within the deep creases of seemingly desperate situations.
Taking the time to practice this new way of thinking is a proven way to combat the negativity.
Here are some simple scientifically based approaches to reprogram your mind to think in a different, more positive way.
Rehearse imaginative positive thoughts that serve you. This may involve taking time every day to visualize a winning scenario such as your place of employment re-opening to many opportunities. See positivity within the work environment, you are smiling and happy, you have a new attitude, you are grateful to have this new found joy after this global reset. Visualize it and most importantly, sense the environment, be in the moment drawing on elevated emotions to create the experience.
Trick here is to believe it is really happening. Take the time to practice this visualization daily in a quiet undisturbed setting.
This is not the work of babies, it is going to require self-awareness, an understanding of your environment you are creating in your mind, focusing attention on your own thoughts, being careful to eliminate the ones that sabotage your full-on sensory creation. You can co-create your reality by understanding your own extraordinary abilities. Now is the time to uncover these realities of human potential.
Here is the hard core fact, the truth is in plain sight, there is no life line, it’s up to you on how to navigate these uncharted waters. Stop looking to authorities for your own answers. Therapists, clergy, or governmental officials are meant for information and support. It’s time for intelligent, self-directed accountability.
This hangover will not last forever, we will come out of it. When we do, however, we must not have lost the sense of self accomplishment we could have gained from this time of unprecedented uncertainty.