Welcome to Morning in Mental Health.  

What better place to open up a dialogue about the pandemic than right here, with all of you. 

For a while now—well, approaching two years to be more accurate—we’ve kept our heads up through the storm and tried our very best to find the ‘light at the end of the tunnel,’ holding on to an inkling of hope that it actually exists. 

Because although we’ve made tremendous strides towards leaving this pandemic in the dust, as we celebrate over 188 million Americans vaccinated, we’re still here—still fighting, still losing loved ones, and still living in what seems to be an alternate reality worlds away from the life we once knew. 

One morning we were kicking our legs out from beneath our cloud-like comforter, floating towards an aroma of dark-roast brewing in the kitchen, and ready to take on yet another Monday. Maybe today we’d catch a quick lunch at the new café downtown, take the kids over to the park after school, and throw in that much overdue laundry (sans any type of face coverings) while we casually clicked on some much needed Netflix. 

Funny thing is…we often fail to appreciate a mundane Monday like the one above until it’s gone. Not until it’s ripped from our fingertips and we wake up the next morning in a very different world. 

Living a New Reality 

Maybe it was the day we first heard about Covid-19 entering the U.S.; or the day our employer told us we’d be wearing mandatory face coverings to work from now on; or maybe, what truly resonated most was how we no longer could catch a late night dinner to celebrate that big promotion with friends and family, or bring our children to the store for our very own edition of supermarket sweep. 

Maybe what hit the hardest was losing someone we cared about—without rhyme or reason, without being able to say goodbye. 

However the pandemic has affected you, has made you appreciate the once mundane Mondays, you’re not alone. Though we’ve all experienced individual challenges during this time, we can agree that there have been plentiful moments of sadness. Frustration. Of being ridden with anxiety. 

We may have been quick to anger towards those who think differently than us—who abide by, or dismiss, safety measures outside of our own. It’s hard to admit but we’ve been divided as a nation. Still, despite these trying moments, we’ve also demonstrated strength, resilience, kindness, and humility. We’ve held on to hope. 

Learning How to Cope

The pandemic has sparked quite the whirlwind of emotions for us to navigate. It’s triggered some of our deepest, darkest feelings and often left us wondering: 

How do I cope with all of this? 

How do I allow myself to feel what I’m feeling but also reframe it, redirect it towards something positive?

While there is no right or wrong way to cope with life’s obstacles—assuming the manner is neither harmful nor dangerous—there are many proven techniques that work to ground us during times of uncertainty: 

• Focus on self-care

• Limit screen time

• Avoid news overload

• Spend more time outdoors among nature

• Start or maintain a healthy, productive routine

• Make time to connect with friends, family, and your community

• Keep up with medical and mental health appointments

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help and support

Living during a pandemic may have changed us but it hasn’t dulled our shine. We mustn’t forget—just as it is with any other passing season, the day will come when it blows over. And when that day arrives, here we’ll stand together: In the morning light of a much missed, mundane Monday. 

Take care of yourself.