Hello my friends.
Recently I went to a health food store and needed some advice about a particular product.
The salesperson was very kind and was able to help me in making a decision.
During our conversation, we somehow got on the topic of post pandemic mental health. She said that after Covid lockdowns were finished, most people went back to “normal”, but no one is really feeling like their pre-pandemic selves.
As I pondered about what she said, I realized that in an effort to get on with our lives, we ran out the door, forgetting to put on some warm clothes.
The trauma was real, however, in our rush to forget and move on, we neglected to deal with the feelings and emotions that were still present post pandemic.
The end of the pandemic does not automatically mean that all of the emotions we felt at the time, suddenly disappeared. The instability, fear, sadness, and panic did not magically evaporate with the end of the pandemic. They remained in our bodies, to one day give signals of their presence when we least expect it.
During the pandemic, we were more open to share our feelings with others. We felt safe to do so since mostly everyone felt very similar emotions.
However as the pandemic finished, most people felt that they could not longer justify the feelings they were experiencing. Many people thought they should feel better as there was no reason to feel sad or angry or anxious any longer.
Unfortunately, this is a false narrative. We somehow forgot the rule that trauma needs to be processed. Otherwise the feelings will remain stuck in our bodies and will eventually manifest in psychological and physical symptoms.
So I ask the question: how many of us have actually processed the trauma of the pandemic? Forgive me for jumping ahead and answering for you, but I would say that probably more than 90% of us have not done so.
How could our mind and body function properly if we are not allowing ourselves to deal with the feelings that resulted from three years of unprecedented events?
Somehow we no longer feel safe telling our friends and colleagues that we are not the same; that we may experience more mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression; that some days we may have more brain fog and are not able to accomplish as much as we expected; and that some days we feel that the world is still unpredictable and we don’t know how to make things better.
The list is not exhaustive. Everyone is feeling something but may not be able to connect to the feelings due to a strong need and desire to just move on and forget.
How to move on
So how do we process these emotions that we may not want to feel?
I find that storytelling is a great way to share our feelings, and see that we are not alone on this journey.
For generations storytelling has been a way to transmit experiences, create community, and foster an environment of support, understanding, compassion and safety.
I would therefore like to propose to our readers, all that for the next month, we venture out of our cocoons, and start sharing how we feel.
These stories do not have to be long. It could be as simple as sharing the type of day you had at work and how you felt. Or it could be more detailed by describing how you feel post pandemic in your daily lives.
The focus is how you are feeling in a particular situation.
I had provided in an earlier article a link to an emotions chart, and you may want to use the chart when writing about your feelings.
You can share these stories by writing anonymous as a response to this article, or have a special journal where you write these amazing stories.
Whichever way we choose to share our stories, there is a catharsis that occurs, and at the end we will not only feel lighter, but more connected.
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Disclaimer
The information in this article is not therapy, counseling, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, mental health care/treatment, substance abuse care/ treatment, nor is it medical, psychological, mental health advice or treatment, or any other professional advice.
The information in this article is for information purposes only, and is not to be used as a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, mental health care, medical care, or any other professional advice by legal, medical or other qualified professionals.
The information in this article shall not be recorded, copied or distributed.
If you feel that you may need medical or other professional help, please contact your doctor or call 911 if it is an emergency.