The growing emotional impact of the pandemic
I relish the few moments every morning as I am just waking, having forgotten we are living through a pandemic. Never, ever in my lifetime did I consider even for a moment that I’d be among those in the world impacted by such a crisis. We have watched in the comforts of our own homes other countries and parts of the world who have been impacted over the past few decades, but for some reason it never even occurred to me this could also be our fate. And yet, here we all are.
As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, I have noticed the growing and under-discussed emotional impact this crisis is having on the emotional well-being of humans in our world.
The natural practice of greeting friends/family members with a hug, are now done (if at all) with great hesitation and caution, wondering if the act of a simple and brief physical embrace could indeed infect us or our loved ones.
Practicing yoga or any sort of group exercise is now off limits or dramatically shifted to an attempt to offer out-door practices with mixed results.
Family gatherings. Graduations. Weddings. First Communions. Backyard bbq’s. Reunions. All dramatically scaled back, postponed or cancelled altogether.
Vacations. What are those?
JOBS. Ugh… Where do I even begin to address this issue? While mine is safe/secure, I am keenly aware daily of the growing loss of jobs, many that may never resume again. How will our world ever recover from this catastrophic loss.
The list goes on and on and on. When I think of the magnitude of loss this pandemic is impacting, it almost takes my breath away. I see it in the faces of my clients, I hear it in their voices -the desperation to return to some semblance of normalcy. And yet, there is no way for me to assure them, or myself, that normalcy will resume any time soon. If ever. Seriously, what if this is the next chapter of humanity? How do we grieve what we have all lost, while still attempting to remain hopeful for better days to come? Will there be?
When will we travel again, safely, with having the fear of a plane crash being our sole worry in the air? (hey…. that has LONG been mine, yet I traveled often anyway)
When will we be able to rush into the arms of family members/friends without the fear of infecting him/her or ourselves getting infected with this potentially deadly disease? (I’m not a huge hug-ey person but it was still nice to have the option without fear)
When will we be able to host a party without thinking of “who is the bare minimum that needs to be there?” Rather than who do we WANT to be there and how can we accommodate the most people in our space? (As an introvert, I’m all about the small party, but I also really really dislike restrictions on me. Can you feel me?)
When will the stability of the job market resume, for those with decades of experience and those just starting their careers? (I fear for my son graduating at the end of this academic year, will the film industry be a thing again? Asking for an art student!)
When will our greatest concern in yoga classes (or similar) be can I seriously hold Warrior Two for the entire time the teacher is suggesting, or can I wiggle out or adjust a little and she/he will never notice! (And I used to worry about sweat on my mat that wasn’t mine, because it was GROSS! Not because it could kill me potentially!)
I miss the simple days….when going to the store was annoying but without fears of infection….When families didn’t argue over the severity of this disease…when missing human contact meant you had options to get that need fulfilled, without fear or question or evaluation.
I am seeing more anxiety. I am seeing more depression. I am seeing more hopelessness. I am seeing YOU. And know, you are NOT alone.
“Hope is being able to see there is light despite all the darkness.” Desmond Tutu
While I wish I could offer with absolute knowing what our future will look like, what I can offer is the belief that after the darkness….there will always be light. There will always be light…….And I for one, will welcome it all in!
Wishing you peace…and comfort in knowing none of us are alone in this.
