LifeWorks Counseling Group

Having difficulty coping with the loss of normalcy during Covid? Here's some tips for coping.........

Consider how a shift in your thinking might help you today.....

How do I Thrive During COVID-19? We are in the midst of a global and national "crisis" due to COVID-19 and to most all of us, this is new territory. To many this feels trauma. "Pre-conditions for trauma" are: Lack of Predictability, Immobility, Loss of Connection, Numbing or "Spacing Out", Loss of Safety, "Loss of Sense of Purpose" and proposed that we are currently living in "pre-conditions for trauma." (as described by Bessel Van Der Kolk)... So, how can we re-orient and be emotionally healthy in a season that is like none other? Bessel suggests creating predictable activities in our days, moving our bodies as often as possible, reaching out to connect in appropriate ways, noticing what our bodies are experiencing on the inside, finding a safe place to retreat to, and orienting to time and space. 1. Predictability: Develop a daily routine and schedule and put things on your calendar to look forward to. 2. Mobility: Our bodies were made to move. Ways to move might include exercise or working on house projects or doing household chores. 3. Connections: We were meant to live in connection and "see" the faces of others. Making use of FaceTime, Zoom, phone calls, etc. might be helpful forms of connection in this time. If you live with family, eat meals together, play games together, and tell stories. 4. Mindfulness Instead of Numbing: Practice noticing what you feel inside. Practice naming what you are feeling to another person, externalize it. This externalizing process may help keep you from escalating. 5. Safety: Have a safe place to withdraw to. Touch can be soothing and comforting. Practice calming techniques like deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, or prayer. 6. Sense of Time and Future: It may feel as though time has stopped, but it is important to look for the passage of time to remind ourselves that it will not always be this way. Amy Taylor, MA, APC LifeWorks Counseling

Helping College kids cope with Covid

We're All Grieving Together Have you considered how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our families, our communities, our nation, our whole world with a collective grief? We are all experiencing losses of different kinds. Some of our elderly loved ones have experienced the loss of family visits, young brides planned for months for their dream wedding which did not get to happen, some have experienced the death of a loved one to Covid-19. Others are experiencing loss of jobs,... graduations, gathering together to worship. All of us are experiencing loss of the normal predictable, comforting rhythm of daily life. Our collective grief. To process this and bring a sense of understanding to what you and others are experiencing it helps to know the stages of grief (originally established by Kubler-Ross and Kessler). Denial I’m not worried about this virus. This won’t affect us. Anger I’ve got work to do, places to go! You’re making me stay home!? Bargaining Ok, if I practice social distancing for a couple of weeks this will all be ok? Sadness I don’t know how long this will last. Acceptance This is how it is for now. I’m adjusting to my life in a new way. Meaning This crisis is changing me in good ways. I’m reflecting on life, reevaluating values, discovering new hobbies, spending more time with family, slowing down my pace. Where do you find yourself in these stages? These stages of grief are not as linear as this list. You may find you move through them only to cycle back to another stage. Acceptance and Meaning are where the power lies. Having this understanding of what is happening inside of you emotionally will bring some order to your inner life. It can help you to have patience with others who are in a different stage of this grief process. Be caring with others and with yourself as we are ALL in this collective grief together. Kimberly Bishop, LPC, CPCS LifeWorks Counseling, www.lifeworksresourcegroup.com, (706)507-3694