How to Heal from the Stress of the Pandemic

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know we aren’t likely to hit herd immunity. And we will likely live with coronavirus indefinitely. But as a school administrator, I can see the light. I feel the 2020-21 school year winding to a close. I feel like the 2021-22 school year will by way more normal than this year. An amazing summer vacation is on its way! And I’m going on a retreat with other vaccinated women in July! So now that I’m not living in a constant state of uncertainty and lack of predictability, I’m thinking about how to heal from the stress of the pandemic.

Step One: Naming What Was Hard

I’m guessing the first step on my healing journey should be truly acknowledging what has been hard for me. Ugh! There’s so muchI could say! What were the hardest parts for you?

Step Two: Naming What Has Actually Been Better

As life starts to go back to “normal,” I think it’s important to identify the parts of our lives that have gotten better. If we aren’t careful, we are at risk of losing those parts of our life. Or if we have no choice about whether to keep them in our lives or not, then we need to grieve the loss of those things, too.

For example, I have loved having my children in half-day school. I honestly think them being out of the house from 7:30am to 4pm (including commuting) is too long. I have loved getting to see them when I can step away from my work for a quick break. (I’m grateful I wasn’t their primary caregiver this entire time.)

Step Three: Identify Our Own Formulas for Healing

I’ve been reflecting a lot about how bad Americans are at tuning into their inner wisdom and following their own paths. I personally think it’s the result of a lot of different things, including rampant consumerism. We’re sold the idea that we can fix our problems through purchasing things. And now social media is constantly selling us visions of other people’s best lives. It’s hard to turn inward.

In this podcast episode, I talk about how I believe we all have common things we need to support wholeness and happiness, like sleep and movement. But beyond that, I think our individual formulas are so different. We all need stress reduction, but what does that look like for you? We all need connection, but what kind of connection makes your heart sing?

And then there’s a whole litany of things that vary drastically from person to person. Like how much adventure do you need in your life? Risk-taking? Novelty? Working with your hands? Progress?

And we all need pleasure in our lives. But what brings you pleasure?

The Hardest Part about How to Heal from the Stress of the Pandemic

Making time to think about how to heal from the stress of the pandemic while we are still experiencing the stress of the pandemic is no easy task. I’m fighting like hell to 1) make it to the end of the school year in one piece 2) make time to tune into my emotions and feelings 3) actively start to heal from the past year and 4) make space to envision what I want my life to be like moving forward.

I’m excited to be heading into this part of the pandemic journey!