5 Ways You Can Cope With The Stress Of Quarantine
5 Ways You Can Cope With The Stress Of Quarantine
In times like this, it’s easy to think things will never feel normal again. These moments of isolation, pressure, loss, disappointment are going to impact our lives for some time to come. The struggles of a Global Pandemic will inevitably raise havoc on our mental health if we don’t take some precautions and step back from the chaos to think and reevaluate the situation. To assess what is coming in as “truth” and what we want to believe about the world and ourselves. It’s so easy to stay in the status quo and follow the crowd. But if you clicked on this post I know that you are resilient. You want to become better not bitter from this Corona Virus Season. We don’t have control over the situation at hand and the forced limitations being placed on us. Some of us have lost our jobs and businesses, some of us have lost loved ones through this quarantine and have had very limited resources for how to process our grief. Some of us are going through a painful divorce in the midst of already so much uncertainty. Some of us are working at an essential workspace with the fear of our lives on the line, day-to-day. Some of us are experiencing anxiety beyond our comprehension. Some of us are fearful we’ll never know to be social again without the PTSD of people pulling away from a much-needed hug. Some of us have gotten sick and have no support because others are afraid to get sick. Some of us are in households with someone who is abusing us and feel trapped with no way out. Some of us have no parents and feel absolutely abandoned by the school system that gave us normalcy and hope on a daily basis. Some of us have been thrown into being a stay-at-home parent and teacher when we’ve had no desire or training into the gig. Some of us are crying ourselves to sleep wondering where our next meal is coming from. Some of us feel guilty for having so much that we’re overanalyzing and minimizing our own experience of how this whole thing is impacting us. Some of us are experiencing so much hurt form all the racial injustice in our country and don’t know what to do.
I know there are so many more stories. If I could I would continue to try to write more scenarios. But I hope you understand that no matter your story. IT matters. You matter and your mental wellbeing matters and is super important! Here are five ways that I have myself implemented in my own life as I navigate a pandemic, losing my father to cancer in May and many other painful experiences in my personal life. These have been tried and tested by me and I pray that they would be of value to your heart and life. I pray the most incredible peace to wash over you as you read this post and that you feel hope rise within your spirit!
Here are five ways you can cope with the stress of your story.
1.- Pray
I know. Riveting stuff. You might just wanna jump out of this post because this one is just obvious. Don’t leave I know praying in the middle of heartache isn’t easy. You want to do the opposite. You want to curse the source of your pain. Why would God allow you to hurt and struggle this hard? I know you know the pain that is within you and it is overwhelming sometimes. Praising God and praying isn’t the most comfortable. Here’s why it’s important you do it anyway. The Lord will be your ever PRESENT help in trouble. He is not mad at you and you haven’t made him mad enough to cause suffering. YOU didn’t cause the suffering. We live in a broken world where we experience pain. But your pain is not in vain. It has an eternal purpose! When you pray in hard times God gives you His supernatural power to withstand any season. God will “ provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor” Isaiah 61:3
2.- Your heart and mind are your responsibility.
You and God are the keepers of your beautiful garden of your mind and your heart and it is your responsibility to take care of it. You can try to get into other people’s yards and try to trim their trees but you can’t change their garden, they are responsible for their heart, so stay out and give that same energy to your own heart and mind. You can try to encourage and inspire if asked, but if you aren’t brought into someone’s solution to a problem just be a listening ear. Keep in your yard as much as you can and tend to your precious heart, ask God to help you with this, he will know how to lead you in wisdom. He knows what you need before you know yourself. You and your heart are important to God and he wants to hold space for your grief and with everything you are feeling. He is interested in how this quarantine and COVID19 era is impacting you personally. Not your cousin, not your husband not your friend who is choosing to not do things like you. God is interested in you and you alone so that he can mend your heart, give you the comfort you need, and the courage and strength to withstand this season.
3.- Exercise
Okay, now you’re really going, right? I know this is not a shock to you and it might make you feel mad that this is #3 but I wouldn’t suggest you do something I haven’t done. I was once an exercise hater! But, I have never been so sure of how important physical exertion is then this very moment. It is vital to our mental health and helps us process these BIG emotions we are all facing. I know you can find something you like to move your body to. I know exercise can get annoying, especially if the reason why we are doing it is to punish ourselves for the way we look or don’t look. Listen. You are beloved and beautiful or handsome, no matter your weight or the sight of your flesh. You are absolutely loved and accepted before you get to a certain weight. Knowing that, give your mind a powerful WHY to look forward to as you fortify your exercise journey. Your “why” has to be something that motivates you on the days you just don’t want to move. You will see more results from yourself because you’re giving the message to your brain that you exercise for your wellbeing and because you love and respect yourself. Not because you hate your body. Hating yourself is not from God, he loves you and there is no shame in you in the name of Jesus! Listen to this.
” If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:31b-34)
When you receive Jesus as your savior you no longer are tied to your shame and guilt of your past. You’ve become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and you can love yourself because God loved you first and he made you you didn’t make yourself. So take care of the body the Holy Spirit lives in, as you take care of the body, so it will bless your mind and soul!
I’ve experienced a lot less PTSD and anxiety since exercise became something I do almost every day. Even if it’s a five-minute walk. I’m doing something for my mental health! If I can do it, I know you can too!
4.- Journal your feelings.
Dear journal. I feel manipulated. It’s powerful to talk to yourself and figure out why things are affecting you the way they are. The more you show up for yourself the better you are toward other people. You begin a great relationship with yourself through journaling. It’s a great way to lay it all down on a piece of paper you can burn if you need to! Get all the big feelings and emotions out of your body. Trust me if you don’t express your feelings they come after you in other ways. Our bodies can become sick if we don’t honor our truest emotional state and it’s imperative to our wellbeing to be honest about how we feel. There is no shame in having all kinds of feelings, God made your feelings as a gauge for you to notice what is important. Ager means a boundary has been or is close to being crossed. Sadness and disappointment mean you’re grieving the loss of something important to you. Disgust helps you stay safe. Fear helps you stay alive. You are not a “happy robot” and you shouldn’t shame yourself for not feeling happy right now. It makes so much sense that you’re feeling so many overwhelming emotions. You are human. You are right where you need to be.
5.- Give yourself and others extreme grace.
These are some of the most challenging times any of us have faced. None of us know what we are doing and we are all scared. We are all struggling somehow. The easiest thing to do is to blame others when things seem out of our control but this isn’t helpful or and it doesn't serve you in any way. Blame and complaining is only a waste of energy. What would our nation look like if we all gave ourselves and others the grace that Jesus gives us? We are all in need of encouragement right now. “Kind words are like honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)
If you are being abused in any way, know that there are places you can call for help. Here too. And know that you have a God who is able to help, speaking the name of Jesus out loud when you need him, is powerful! He will give you strength and wisdom to know what to do. You are not alone and grace is different than speaking up and setting healthy boundaries to abusive behavior. You have more courage than you know! And whatever you’ve had to face, God will heal you, help you and turn it around for your good in your future, because he is a good father. He has done that in my life and I believe him to be a generous God!
These are all super heavy situations and we are all in this together. It might seem like we divided but God is a God of peace and unity and he has the final say. Stay encouraged.
P.S. a bonus tip for coping with the stress of Quarantine and Corona Virus. Be mindful of what media you are consuming. Keep informed but more than anything fill your life, your home, your eyes, your ears your words with God’s Holy Word and promises. Miracles happen when we speak life to our life!
Hebrews 12: “ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
I am so grateful you stopped by to read today. I pray that you feel equipped to fight this battle. Know that God already has the victory and he is holding you in the hollow of his mighty hands!
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