In addition to the basics — getting enough sleep, exercise, and healthy food; doing activities you enjoy; building in a routine — here's some suggestion for dealing with virus-related losses.
Don't minimize your loss
Recognizing losses, both large and small, can ease the pain and protect your emotional health, said St. Paul psychologist Molly Ruggles. You are allowed to feel upset about canceling a vacation or missing your prom without judging yourself. "When you're comparing your camp getting canceled to someone dying, people can feel shame about those losses or minimize those losses," she said. "But the reality is it's still a loss."
Allow yourself to grieve
Giving yourself time and space to feel emotions such as sadness can happen in a variety of ways, with or without other people. "People can write about it, they can sing about it, they can do art, they can do prayer … they can participate in grief groups," suggested Mary Jo Kreitzer, director of the Center of Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota.
Ruggles recommends paying attention to your feelings. "When you feel that grief coming up, rather than immediately pushing it away or engaging in something else, just take a moment to take a deep breath and exhale and let yourself have that feeling before moving on," she said.
Notice the positive
Develop a gratitude practice, Kreitzer said, suggesting people write down three good things every day and then review the list weekly. "In the midst of despair and horrendous circumstances, there's still kindness and beauty and joy," she said. This difficult time can also reveal new ways of doing things we didn't know were possible. It also can help us understand what's most important in our lives.
