Welcome to my blog. Each week I will post something helpful about how to cope with modern life. I will give guidance on subjects like fear, anxiety, panic and helplessness. I will also talk about hope, positivity and how to reframe your thoughts for better mental health. My thought for today is to recognize that we are in an extraordinarily difficult situation. With this pandemic, we are facing the prospect of death every day in the community, in our families and in our homes. Job losses, business closures, isolation. Our fight/flight or freeze response is being triggered, but there is nothing we can do and certainly nowhere to run to. This makes us feel very vulnerable and confused. Secondly, our freedom has been taken away. We were not expecting this and were unprepared, which gives way to a mass sense of trauma and helplessness. This is a paralyzing combination with no clear end in sight.

But not if we reframe it. Rather than feel angry and frustrated with yourself or the world, think about how well you are coping in such a difficult time. You are still here. Give yourself credit for getting through each day, this is the achievement right now. We fear losing so much because we cared so deeply about what we had. We will never take our freedom for granted again. Remember, you are resilient; be kind to yourself. Human beings are amongst the most adaptable creatures on the planet. You are part of that. Our resilience comes from centuries of not giving up and navigating through danger. The key is focussing on the outcome you want. If you visualise this more concretely, you can hold onto hope. Think about what you dream of doing if your freedom returns. Draw a detailed picture in your mind of who you will hug, where it will be and what you might do together. This is what you are fighting for ⚖️