So here we are in Colorado in Phase 2, eleven weeks into the COVID-19 Pandemic. How are you all doing? Everyone I talk to seems to have a somewhat different experience of managing their lives and their mental health these days.
Some issues are pretty universal from what I can see; as human beings we like predictability, consistency, and certainty, and these are not qualities we can depend on right now. There are a lot of contradictions about the effectiveness of masks, the research and what we know so far about the virus, the vulnerabilities of certain countries or races, the conflict between opening up for economic reasons versus staying close to home to remain physically healthy. And what directives to follow- Federal or State guidelines? Which statistics are accurate? Will there be a recession or depression and will the jobs not come back? And on top of the stress of the virus, there are other political issues that keep on happening, amplifying the sheer frustration of life being different now.
Ken Wilber, a contemporary philosopher (who also lives in Colorado) has a very coherent explanation of how people tend to see their own world views, and why. He has developed an integrative map to try to understand reality. One question he asks us to consider is whether it is useful or effective to get overwhelmed by focusing on the small worries and trivialities of life, or whether it could be wiser to keep our minds more expanded to see a global perspective, as all life is interconnected. When we read news reports and get caught up in the “spin” of the media, does it help us stay connected to each other and to our Wise Mind perspective? (a term that Dialectical Behavior –Therapy- DBT– uses)For the anxious individual, getting overwhelmed by the small outlook tends to make us more anxious and then there is trouble focusing, problem-solving or feeling safe. However, if we can all remember that we all essentially want health, safety, and a harmonious connection to each other, then we can look for that as the Bigger Picture. There may be many ways of realizing this, but if we cooperate rather than adopting a “them/us” attitude then we can solve the bigger problems- like developing a universal vaccine for a Pandemic. A virus knows no borders.
So if you are having anxiety and even depression about the state of your situation right now, it may be helpful to get some training in holding the bigger perspective through learning Mindfulness, to calm the emotional parts of the brain, so the relaxed and creative part of the brain can be open to more possibilities. I can help you with these skills.
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