How to Manage Coronavirus Overwhelm and Still Feel in Control
Disclaimer: I understand that this advice is not relevant to everyone as I’m speaking from a position of privilege. You absolutely do not have to 'make the most' out of the pandemic, and my heart truly goes out to those who are worst hit.
I have a confession. I am terrible at managing overwhelm.
I’d love to approach life like the great ancient Stoics - accepting things that we can’t change and working to change things that are within our power to change. But the truth is, when things don’t go to plan, I spiral into weeks of unchecked rumination and antisocial brooding. You can probably guess how Covid-19 has affected me and my mental health.
Since sitting around the house for months in isolation, stress-scrolling through Twitter in a state of panic-induced paralysis is neither healthy nor sustainable, I decided to focus on things that I can control.
Yes, I’ve lost work (as many others have, too). Yes, I’ll have to live off my savings and possibly take out a loan (again, not alone). And yep, I’ve no clue how I’ll stay sane juggling childcare and working from home when schools close down tomorrow. I’m angry, confused, and scared. I feel like I'm grieving. And while we all need to allow ourselves the space to feel these feelings, we also need to give ourselves the space to let them go.
Accepting that very little is in our control right now is terrifying. But once you’ve let go of the things you can’t change, you’ll have space for coming up with creative ideas on what you can change - and that can offer great solace.
Say, for example, you’ve been meaning to cut down on your takeaway or eating out. Why not embark on a cooking project, putting the recipes you’ve had saved on your phone to use? Sure, it’s a small, seemingly meaningless act - but getting around to ‘finally getting it done’ feels surprisingly empowering.
Another example: a no-spend month, where you don’t buy anything besides food and hygiene essentials (no toilet paper hoarding please). Challenging yourself to spend significantly less for a month makes you more aware of the mindless spending decisions we make each day, and it’s oh so liberating. To quote Roman philosopher Seneca, ’Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realise how unnecessary many things are. We’ve been using them not because we needed them but because we had them.’
Other actionable steps to help you feel in control can include things like unsubscribing from all non-essential platforms, learning a new skill, or decluttering and selling your old clothes.
I won’t talk of ‘silver linings’ because it feels crude. We must all take our time to mourn our old, normal lives and acknowledge the sense of loss and fear we all feel right now. But, on a global scale, there have been some positive developments: we’ve seen communities pulling together and listening to one another like never before. The planet is taking a much needed break from air travel and pollution. There’s been a significant shift in how individuals and politicians talk about our responsibility to protect vulnerable groups in our society. At a societal level, we are highlighting issues faced by working parents, the many problems with statutory sick pay, the rights of the self-employed and tenants and so, so much more. My hope is that the conversation will continue and that this pandemic will herald much-needed reforms.
There's no right or wrong, and we're learning how to cope with new and scary developments every day. If you can't bring yourself to 'take charge', that's ok - be kind to yourself and forgive yourself for feeling scattered and lost.
I’m also in no way trivialising the seriousness of this pandemic and the tragic loss of lives. I simply want us all to pay as much attention to protecting our emotional health as we do our physical health. Reaffirming that we are, in fact, still in control of the little things in life is an important part of this. Covid-19 might have the power to invade our bodies, but we get to decide whether we let it invade our minds.
Veronica Morozova is a freelance content strategist and copywriter. She met Emilie 5 years ago at an NCT class and is currently working with Vestpod (and was our very first contributor!). Veronica specialises in digital community growth and works with small businesses and startups. She also heads up a side project, The Insecure Parents’ Society, a supportive space for parents struggling with mental health issues.
💌She's open to offers for freelance work, so if you're interested you get in touch with her here.