I read this morning that more people have now been vaccinated compared to those who have COVID-19. This is great news. I know I’m one of those lucky people.
Necessity is of course the mother of all invention and with the continual roll out of the various vaccines that are available, or soon to be available, will tip the scales even further in our favour.
Or at least we hope so. For nothing can be certain with this virus as it mutates to survive. But science has shown it can get ahead of the curve, we just need our politicians and world citizens to acknowledge and accept that it is in all our (sanitised) hands to keep the scales in our favour.
I have dealt with unprecedented levels of anxiety throughout the last year and this gives me more than hope and positivity that things are going in the right direction. The numbers are an indication that we can manage this current situation , right here, right now, day by day, step by step. If we can keep going , collectively, we can all look forward to a better future.
Stay safe. Following the COVID-19 protocols for your place in the world. Remember the scales are now tipping in our favour.
Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, BBC Television. (John Cleese)
Our lives might not seem to be moving quickly at the moment but they are moving at the same pace as yesterday, the days before that and the days to come.
The virus has however changed all our lives. Time has remained the constant that it always was but how we use this time as changed.
Before we probably didn’t think we had enough of it but now that has altered and we are not too sure how to deal with it.
Most of us like to have a degree of certainty in our lives and a sense of control over our choices and actions. This is being challenged as we are being forced into actions and behaviours that are not ours.
Therefore if we do not feel we own these choices, then our actions and behaviours are in conflict and that leads to confusion, disillusionment and anger.
Now most of us can put up with this sort of thing for a short while but when it drags on, with no real end in sight the pressure can begin to mount and with any excess pressure something has to give.
So what can we do?
1. Acceptance.
Ouch, really, we have had enough and you are saying just accept the situation we are in? Well yes I am, if we can accept the situation then we will not be fighting it anymore. Stressing ourselves out over something we cannot fix is no cure. By accepting where we are will allow us to see things in a different way.
2. Changing our perspective.
Now that we are no longer fighting the situation we can use the time, remember it is the same amount of time we always had, to review what is important in our lives and really see how we can get more of these things and ditch the ones that were really just filling space in our lives but not really adding any value to it. WARNING!!! This might be something that you have been putting off for years as you know the answers and they might not be palatable but now is the opportunity to clear the decks.
• Work : do really miss it, other than the paycheck? Is there something that you always wanted to do that you now have the time to tackle? Are you a music genius, a writer perhaps, an artist? No matter what now is the time to express yourself.
• Health: can you take the time now to review your health, stop smoking perhaps, cut down on alcohol, try a vegetarian diet, exercise more – become a yoga master twisting your limbs into pretzel shapes in no time! (remember to check with your physician before radically changing your diet and exercise regime)
• Wealth: How much is enough? How can you get by with what you have, review where your money has been going, can this now be trimmed and even can you do without things that never have been essential anyway.
• Relationships: This is a real challenge as in times like these, our relationships are under pressure but we need to know if we can get through this then we can get through anything. However it might be time to review those who have not been helpful and have been more of a drain on your energies and take the opportunity to say “sayonara”.
3. Comparison trap.
Stop comparing yourself to others, there will always be someone who is more attractive, wealthier, has a bigger car, has a bigger house, has something you don’t have. But do you really need what they have? Is it that important? Is it okay to just have what you have, now is a great opportunity to review this.
4. Future planning.
This situation will not last forever. It will end. Take this chance to see how you are going to live your life in the future. Do you want to go back to the way it was, but this is unlikely as social distancing and various health protocols might be around for some time to come. So now is the chance to plan a different life, taking everything above into consideration, now you can really plan for a life that is less stressful, less chaotic and just better as you have taken the time to plan your life.
Remember you only get one life, but rarely do you get the chance to review and reset it to the way it should have been in the first place. Now might be that opportunity. Seize the opportunity as this is something you can still control.
I come from a social psychology background and find how we act within and outside groups fascinating. This article highlights the challenges we as individuals face when presented with a crisis. We are currently knee deep, waist deep or up to our necks in it , depending where you live within our global village, in a pandemic that is asking us to confront our thoughts and behaviours.
So please read the article, give it a like , share it freely and ask yourself if you are going to rebel or conform?
This is my right hand (Righty) , it’s not quite redundant, but it’s very clean. Very Very clean, so is it’s partner Lefty. Righty likes to be busy, but doesn’t work as hard as Lefty, who is the dominant one.
At the moment both are not as busy as they should be, Righty can live with this , but Lefty can’t, so he took this photo of Righty, to keep himself busy, he is typing these words also.
Our hands are important, however when they have too much time they can get mischievous, “Devil and idle hands and all that”, never a good combination.
So to occupy Lefty and Righty, they have been set tasks:
chopping, stirring, flipping and cutting in the kitchen, Righty’s fingers have a few nicks, naughty Lefty.
filling the washing machine, hanging out clothes, ironing clothes
stretching, pulling and lifting to help the middle aged body move
massage the aching body
hold and flick the pages of a new book
holding a biscuit and dunking in a nice cup of tea
Who knows they might even teach each other a few tricks so Righty can take more of the leading role and Lefty can take a more supporting role.
Both are looking to the future when the invaders have gone so they can get back to doing the work they love, being helping hands to those in need.
One thing is for sure they will not be redundant and will be very very clean.
In these curious times happiness can mean so many different things to different people and words cannot truly describe what it is, for it is a feeling, a unique feeling within us that hopefully we have all experienced, even for the briefest of moments.
So even when happiness seems short on supply, grasp and savour the depth of its existence when it comes your way.
For it is yours to experience any way you like.
So when it comes your way , let it in, or if it’s not for you, please share it with someone who might just need it.
In these unprecedented times (sounds dramatic but they are) we all need to be mindful of where our heads are at.
This is a nice graphic, I like it as it’s simple.
Obviously managing anxiety on top of the current corona virus pandemic is challenging. But taking care of our mental health has never been so important.
So hopefully this graphic can help focus our minds.
Please seek the necessary anxiety management for your needs if you require it as, like me,I’m sure most anxiety management specialists can facilitate video interfaces.
I personally use VSee and Zoom so take care of yourself and if you require any further information you can find it at: http://www.anxietyclinicdublin.com
You can also feel free to contact me at: anxietyclinc@dublin.com
Anxiety Clinic Dublin 