Our resolve as a nation to beat COVID-19 is wavering.
Not that we do not want it to happen, but we are growing weary of the cost. Getting back to work is on more people’s minds than it was even a week ago. A DC area poll has been conducted weekly since we got the order to shelter in place. It shows an 11-point jump in people who think the cost of staying at home is worse than the possibility of getting COVID-19.
And people who are venturing out for stores deemed essential businesses, are increasingly less tolerant of restrictions on their movements.
Social distancing is a hard concept for many to grasp. Businesses are limiting the number of people in their locations at one time to help control the space between customers. Yet, this can be a point of contention when a group wants to enter.
People are getting frustrated by the lack of toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and Ramon Noodles.
READ: 22 Coping Statements That Will Make You Less Anxious
As the country’s meatpacking plants (beef, pork, and chicken) deal with a surge in infected workers, the supply of fresh protein seems threatened. This is leading to the next panic as people flock to stores in a desperate attempt to get fresh chicken, pork, and beef.
Next week, many local retailers are requiring people to wear masks covering their mouth and nose.
The backlash from that is already sending shock waves of frustration to those who work in those stores or who answer the phones for those establishments. It is easy to vent at something you cannot control, heck I did that for years. I still catch myself doing that.
Even knowing that people’s frustration and then actions may easily stem from there feeling out of control, this catastrophe only stirs the pot even more and does little to make a person feel in control of their lives. Being the victim is a role many of us play. I too have caught myself doing that.
But now I have tools to help me recognize unhelpful thinking styles.
READ: Up Against The Wall – 10 Unhelpful Thinking Styles
And these tools have been incredibly effective in helping me deal with this pandemic. Everything I have learned about depression; I can apply to COVID-19. I came upon this realization very early in the crisis and have leaned on those tools ever since. Last summer, I constructed my own personal wellness recovery action plan and learned many SMART Recovery tools.
All this knowledge has helped me put the pandemic into perspective.
Of course, having the tools and consistently using them are two different things. And I understand that I will not always be 100% successful in applying my newfound tools to every situation. As you may now, I am human just like everybody else. And even I make mistakes.
History repeats itself.
During the Spanish flu over 100 years ago, the same feeling of unity, then concern over personal liberties drove many to miss the importance of their personal actions. Not everyone has the patience or inclination to read about the past and apply it to their current situation. Sadly, this means more will die before this pandemic is contained.
And people will continue to blame others for their “misfortune.â€
My concealed depression is written under the alias “Depression is not my boss.†I have certifications in SMART Recovery and am a Global Career Development Facilitator.
Last year, I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder.
If you know someone who might benefit from reading this, please share. And your comments are always appreciated.
