Coping: Self-Reflection
Most experts agree that it takes an average of 2-3 months for people to grasp and begin to adjust to a major life change. And here we are, at about that point in time since we started to live in “Covid-Mode”. We are no longer at the very beginning of this pandemic, we may have a better understanding of what we are living through, and hopefully we have developed a new daily routine under these circumstances.
The good news is usually this means that the acute panic stage is behind us. Moments of panic or intense anxiety may still surge from time to time, but unless additional events or changes are thrown our way, we may have begun to settle emotionally.
This gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we navigated the early stages of this pandemic, to learn about ourselves, and about how we react and respond to crisis and to uncertainty.
You may want to consider the following questions:
Did I react, or overreact?
Was I able to move into action, or was I frozen?
Was I glued to my television, watching the news from morning into the late hours of the night?
Did I frantically stock up on far more toilet paper than my family could use?
Did I discuss the situation with my family and make the best decisions I could with the information available?
Did I make a plan and then check in on my friends and neighbors to see if they were set?
What about coping with emotions? This is also a chance to evaluate coping strategies and decide whether or not we are satisfied with our coping repertoire.
Have I been coping in healthy ways? i.e. support seeking; communication; exercise/time outdoors; self-care; creative endeavors; home projects; meditation, gratitude, prayer; humor; helping others
Have I been coping in maladaptive ways? i.e. denial/avoidance/withdrawal; substance use; emotional eating; numbing with online activities
Asking ourselves these questions is not about judgment or criticism. It’s about seeing where there might be room to evolve. There are growth opportunities that come when we can self-reflect and evaluate our behavior and way of being.
What feels good about the way I have handled things so far?
What would I like to work on?
We are all in this together, apart.