Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychological Resilience

Devam Eden Covid-19
30.10.2020News From Ford
Gökçen Gökçe Kayalar

Gökçen Gökçe Kayalar Uzman Psikolog

Seven months passed since March when Coronavirus emerged in Turkey. Since then, some of us have closely experienced the disease, some of us have witnessed the illness with their friends and family and some of us have never gotten sick. Through time; our knowledge, experience, and evidence-based scientific research on COVID-19 have increased. COVID-19 is no longer a stranger we know nothing of when compared to day one. We know better about what we are fighting and the importance of the measures we will take. Spiritually, we can more or less predict what will or will not be good for us through this process. Yes, we still may not be able to make long-term plans. Our education and working conditions, which were in order for years, have changed. However, we now see that our kids who we thought were too little and can't do; have specialized in online communication tools like Zoom. Despite all the conditions of the home environment, we have adopted and even loved working from home. There is no end to needs, so if we are not to enter risky areas; we found new ways. We noticed the neighborhood grocery stores for instance; and we consumed less, or chose not to buy if not necessary. We had times to explore the green and nature, chat more, and we enjoyed this. Children enjoyed spending quality time with their parents, and the other way around. Sometimes we were weary of life and went into our shells, but we found a way, accepted, stretched, aligned...

Now, at this point, COVID-19 continues to remind us that;

  • • Take a break for long-term plans at least for a while,
  • Live fully in the moment.
  • Be grateful for even the smallest cause of happiness you notice,
  • You are now more bound than ever, to online platforms and electronic devices. So as soon as your work, lesson etc. is done; move away from all electronic devices and return to the communication that makes you who you really are. Maybe with your loved ones, maybe with yourself, with nature, maybe even with a living creature...
  • Do not follow COVID-19 constantly. Take your precautions, follow up on developments from reliable sources, leave the rest to the flow, get away from infollution.
  • Don't do anything that doesn't feel good for you, believe in the power of humor, take all the opportunities to giggle.
  • Realize that you may worry from time to time, and from time to time you may feel as if nothing happened. Remember that the basis of these feelings is also the motivation to survive.
  • Use your energy not to control COVID-19; but to control your lifestyle activity patterns such as sleeping, eating and drinking, and exercising.
  • Positive thoughts can only be produced in a relaxed and purified mind. Don't underestimate meditation!
  • And finally; such a big pandemic was witnessed by the whole world about a hundred years ago. So don't undervalue what you are experiencing; appreciate your effort, and don't neglect to show yourself self-compassion.

If you are fully aware of all this; however, feel that you are still under the invasion of negative thoughts, your sleep and/or appetite are in disorder and you cannot recover and need help; you should not neglect to seek support from psychiatric professionals.