Dear Carolyn,
Stress! I cannot believe the blossoming stress from the pandemic. I got my vaccine, but I am still afraid of Delta. When this all started, I did not think it would last so long – much less the two years that it seems like it is going to last. My family is suffering. I argue more with my husband than pre-pandemic. How do I handle this stress? I often cannot sleep.
Carolyn Answers,
Without question, the pandemic has created spikes in anxiety and major depression. Children may be suffering more than adults. Of course, counseling may help. I would be careful about getting on psych medications because of the pandemic stress. I would look for other solutions – such as exercise and counseling, which a Duke study shows is as effective in treating depression as pills like Prozac.
Next, I would look at some guidelines for not stressing about things you cannot control. Forbes contributor Psychotherapist Amy Morin has “6 Ways To Stop Stressing About Things You Can’t Control.” 1) Define what you can control. Sometimes all you can control is your mindset toward the pandemic. 2)What do you fear? I know personally that the death from COVID-19 of a colleague my age, who was vaccinated from COVID, has brought new fears to me. 3) Where can you assert your influence? For example, you can make sure your child has the tools needed to deal with the pandemic at school. With a friend, you can assert your opinions. 4) What is going through your brain? Are you working on a solution to a problem? Or, are you replaying old conversations, which is called ruminating? Try to refocus those brain waves to solutions to problems. 5) Develop a stress management plan. Write down your diet, exercise and sleep plan. Do your best to stick to the plan most of the time. 6) Finally, train your brain for health affirmations. According to Morin, it is estimated that a person has 70,000 thoughts per day. Do your thoughts go in a positive direction or a negative direction? I found myself watching too much news on television about the pandemic, which led me down negative paths. I decided to limit my exposure to such information to a small amount of time weekly. Yes, I need to be current, but one does not need to hyperfocus on the negativity.
Try these ideas. Please write back and let me know the results. Take care and be safe.
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I would think that everyone except the Democrats would have the same symptoms because of the incompetence that is exhibited with our Governor and the whole bunch in Washington.They cannot make a competent decision if they had to.The number ONE Joe Biden ,he is the worst leader of any country in the civilized world .You would have to go into some of our 3rd world countries to get someone so incompetent. He is not running the country ,someone one the staff is telling him what to say and do.Have you noticed that he does not answer questions,he says they told him not to answer !!!Who are THEY and why did the Democrats vote for someone so very out of it There is scuttlebutt that Obama is behind the screen pulling Joe’sChines..In my travels around Greensboro,I have not encountered a person who will say they voted for Joe,I guess he was voted in with all those illegal ballots that the Republicans said were being turned in by illegals (just one of those tricks of the Democrats).I left out the Dead that voted for Joe.