The Emotional Effects of COVID
Fear, anger, boredom, loneliness, anxiety, depression, the list goes on as Cher would say, no it was “The Beat Goes On.” What am I going to do about it? If there was ever a good time to find a counselor, this is it. Winter, long nights, and cold are isolating enough but add COVID to it. And it just keeps going and going right when we see light at the end of the tunnel, pow a new variant Jumps up. Omicron jumps up and the rate of infection sky rockets.
Conflicts Over Masks
Are you the one who dutifully wears your mask in the grocery store, and every where else you go? When you see those people without masks does your inner critic come out and your blood pressure rises? What to do. How about this, do you just wish you didn’t have this critic come up in your brain each time you see a bare face?
You can become a very kind parent to the voices inside your head that are wearing you out. The critic comes up and has a snarky remark about the person in the store with no mask and the audacity to have a dog with them. Know this; that critical one, actually believes it is helping to keep you safe and happy. It is not a bad part of yourself. But just because it has good intentions does not mean it is very effective. It is only one part of who you are.
Okay that’s fine, it is only one part, but I sure am tired of this critical one. That too is only a part of yourself. The part that is just exhausted from hearing from the critic and wondering, why can’t you just stop it? These two parts are like squabbling siblings. What and I’m supposed to make them stop? No, your job is to some how some where find just the smallest amount of curiosity towards the parts, some modicum of compassion.
Ask the fearful part what it wants from you
We cannot control what other people do or feel, we can only control how we react to them. Get your information from the CDC on masks; https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/masks.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprevent-getting-sick%2Fdiy-cloth-face-coverings.html
Accept the fact that there are always going to be people in stores who don’t wear masks. It is just a fact of life now. You can say terrible things about them inside your head, but it’s not going to change anything and probably it will just be exhausting having to hear that inner critic. So you can think, I’m vaccinated, I’m wearing the safest mask possible and social distancing, I’m going to be okay. And know that the inner critic only thinks it is keeping you safe and happy by being critical. Remember, just because the inner critic has good intensions doesn’t mean it is effective.
Do the things you know how to do to stay healthy and hold Radical Acceptance that this is what is happening now. You can also radically accept that your inner critic will come out and have it’s say and not let the critic cause you distress.
