Pandemics are hard on #Mentalhealth why?

First they are confusing on a psychological level.

I want to give you permission to grieve things that you have lost.

Grieve?

Yes, grieve.
Grieving a loss, is the most appropriate way of thinking about what is happening to you, and to your family.

Why?

Because you didn’t choose what you are experiencing, and any time that happens to us, from the big to the small, we need to process these losses.

#Mentalhealth
A couple rules on grieving, don’t get caught in the “my loss is not as bad as someone else’s loss game.”

Seriously. If you had a holiday, if you had a hair appointment, if you normally get your nails done, if you don’t get to go skydiving.

All of these are losses.
Playing the “my loss isn’t as bad” game means that you don’t actually process your loss, you just hold it.

For “smaller” losses consider that others may judge you and say dumb things, they do this because they don’t know how to help you, read this as, insecurity around loss.
Everyone is experiencing loss right now.

Yes, some people are loosing their kids, their life partners, their siblings.

Others lost graduation, a job, a trip.

Others lost meaningful connection at pubs, gyms and libraries.

Helpful, is to have open conversations about our loss.
I would suggest that if you lost something that it significant to you, but that others view as trivial, you find a REALLY safe person, who perhaps also enjoys that same thing.

Process together. Talk about how it feels.
Cry if you need to.

Plan something in the future.
In planning for the future, DON’T DON’T DON’T use a a fixed date.

Ever.

Why? Because if you do, and that date passes, and we are still fighting this, that will be an additional burden.

Make open plans:
“When this is over we are going to ___ and doing ______ with __.
That’s a plan that you can stick to no matter how long this takes.
You can follow @JustinHubert.
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