I am stressed. I still have my job and for ten years I have been working from home. I cannot imagine how much more stressful this current situation would be if I had no income or were new to working from home. I have Medicare. It must be very stressful for those whose healthcare was tied to a job they no longer have. I am grateful. I have so much more than many. Yet, I am still stressed.
I have always been able to sleep anywhere at any time. But, now, I am not sleeping very well. When I do sleep I have very vivid anxiety dreams.
I have done some research on the effects of stress. One of the first things I learned is that part of our brain shuts down during high stress times to help us cope. This helps explain why sometimes I hear myself in the middle of a sentence searching for words.
My brain is not at full function. It is not processing everything that is going on with the same skill it was before.
I have a cousin who tells me on some days she feels numb and out of touch. On other days she will just stop in place, freeze for no apparent reason. Others have told me they are hyper vigilant, constantly in motion, cleaning and re-cleaning the same room. Some have said they have become extremely depressed. These are all symptoms of stress. It doesn’t mean we are going crazy or this will be a permanent state. When this crisis passes, and it will, so will these feelings.
During this pandemic it is alright to lower our expectations. It is okay to do nothing. You aren’t a failure if all you feel like doing is lying in front of the TV. You are not expected to function at the high level you did previously. It is a means of coping.
This pandemic has been hard on all of us. It will not pass quickly. It will be a long time before there is a feeling of “normal” and some things may never change back. But we will survive.
I always thought, if I lived long enough, I would see everyone walking around with masks. But I thought it would be due to environmental abuse. I sure hope I don’t have to see a world where we all wear masks all the time. But if we do get to that stage we will get used to it.
I remember when metal detectors were first introduced in airports. It bothered me and angered me. I refused to fly. I could not accept that I lived in a culture that required people to be searched and forced through a metal detector before being allowed to board a plane. It took me a few years to get over that. I fly a lot. I still find the whole plane boarding extravaganza a challenge but it no longer “freaks” me out or angers me.
If I can get used to airports with their metal detectors, I can get used to permanent mask wearing. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.
I think the most important thing to remember right now is that we are all under a large amount of stress for a variety of reasons. I believe it is important during this time of high stress to be kind. Be kind to yourself. And, be kind to each other. Positive efforts, positive energy leads to positive outcomes.
Gabriel A. Fraire has been a writer more than 45 years. He can be reached at gabrielfraire.com.
