Support during COVID

As many of us continue into the 8th week of #saferathome, I encourage you to continue to feel well to heal well. It may also be helpful to remember that we have some control over managing our Robustness & Resilience.

www.merriam-webster.com defines Robustness & Resilience as follows…

• Robustness: Having strength or vigorous health; capable of performing without failure under a wide range of conditions
• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from life developments.

We can work at managing our ability to be our healthy selves (robustness) & our ability to bounce back (resilience) with many of the same coping tools. While experiencing stress or trauma symptoms, we may need to engage in our coping skills more often, for a longer period of time to be robust.

In general, there are a couple of things to consider for robustness…

1. How am I relaxing each day? Is it working? What else might work?
2. How am I energizing myself each day? Is it working? What else might work?

You might also consider some of the COVID Quarantine Activities from the attachment created by Amy Verhagen at CAP Services.

Please take time to consider strategies for self care, including robustness, resilience, relaxing, energizing & anything else that makes sense. Do the strategies & repeat as often as you need to.

Those who feel well, heal well. :)

Your robustness depends on your action; especially now. Do what you can to set an intention & evaluate (with grace) how you’ve done each day.

The current state requires more coping, patience, and practice of approaches. Be kind to yourself along the way.

Keep on Keeping On & Wash Your Hands.

-Melinda Marasch

Melinda@Aspire2BU.org

In the last couple of weeks I've shared information from a webinar by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (www.pesi.com) regarding the COVID preconditions for trauma, as well as information about Comparative Suffering. I hope this information has validated your experiences, & perhaps even provided some relief &/or some helpful strategies.

I continue to follow a routine, including exercise most days; while I'm also connecting with those who fill me up, & making sure I have things to look forward to each day, week & weekend. All of this is helpful; but I'm tired.

I am tired of...

• Comparing my suffering to others
• Struggling with anxiety about the future
• Getting frustrated at my shortened attention span & consistent mistakes
• Trying to dicipher information about how serious COVID is, how Wisconsin will remain on #SaferAtHome until the end of May, how additional businesses will open soon...
• Going through the groundhog day of my current existence
• +

And I'm hearing that I am not alone; many of you are tired, too. So are the program participants.

So when I get overwhelmed, I spend time feeling & validating my struggles; owning them in their own space. I often set a timer to do this; as it makes me feel some real strong kinds of ways & I could easily get stuck there.

I then pause & remember that those who feel well, heal well.

I list 10 benefits of feeling in the moment, I think of everyone & everything I am grateful for (without comparing my haves with others haven'ts), I think of what I'm looking forward to that day... I think & feel of anything that will bridge me from the big feelings back to the present.

Then I get myself back on track. I ask myself, "What do I need right now so that I can...(check email, finish drafting this webinar, feed my kids...)?" And I allow myself space & time to do that thing (I often set a timer for this too).

And I do get back on track. Back to being focused, responsible & pleasantly present.

Then I repeat. Sometimes 5 or more times each day.

It's exhausting & it's worth it.

Please find & use your own strategies to feel well so that the residual effects of this time are minimized. If I can be of support to you &/or your team/program, please let me know.

Keep on Keeping On & Wash Your Hands.

Be well,

Melinda