Over the past week and half there have been moments where I have felt completely carefree. Whether it be giggling as I watch Miss H terrorise our poor chickens, giving them suffocating hugs whether they like it or not. Or standing in the nursery, looking at the tiny baby grows and getting excited at the prospect of the new baby wearing them.
Then from out of nowhere, I literally feel as though the rug has pulled from beneath my feet. I suddenly remember there is a global pandemic and we are all living in fear of an invisible killer. Many of us have watched in horror as the situation has unfolded in Italy, and have heeded the warnings that the UK may suffer a similar fate.
At this point it is easy to feel completely overwhelmed by your thoughts and before you know it, your mind is buzzing with questions:
- Will I catch COVID-19?
- How can I protect my loved ones?
- How will I survive being socially isolated from my friends and family?
- Can I survive financially?
- When will normal life resume?
Feeling fearful and overwhelmed in this way is a very normal response to a highly anxiety provoking situation. At this point you need to:
- Acknowledge you feel overwhelmed
- Physically take a break from the situation – Call a friend, go outside and take some deep breaths, move to a different room in your house/flat, have a bath, put a film on
- Be kind to yourself – Just because you are feeling overwhelmed does not mean you are not coping. We are living in uncertain time and it’s ok to not be ok right now.
- Don’t write your day off – So you have just spent the last hour feeling overwhelmed and stressed. You can move on from it. Don’t let it define your day.