Coronavirus is aggravating our underlying weaknesses

Coronavirus is increasing the load each of us is carrying, and as that load continues to rise over time, it will aggravate our underlying conditions or our weakest links. If you find yourself struggling with symptoms that you had in the past, issues you thought were resolved, or if you’re just feeling worse in some way in your body or mind, know that you are not alone. 

Other holistic health colleagues and practitioners I’m in contact with confirm they're seeing all kinds of hormonal imbalances; sleep disturbances; increases in headaches, aches and pains, and digestive issues. This makes sense because those systems are affected by stress and our current stress levels are very high. 

We can't change the pandemic, so what can we do to feel better and improve our resilience? The very first thing is to accept that you're not sicker, weaker, or have something “wrong” with you; rather, you're carrying a greater load. You're simply reacting to the environment. 

To the extent that it's possible, we need to reduce our expectations for functioning relative to our “normal,” which is challenging because many of us have children at home, additional responsibilities, and more to do than usual. Something has to give. 

If we don't find a way to make choices that involve more rest and more self-care then, ultimately, the body and mind will suffer. For some of us, it simply doesn't seem possible to lighten the load. Reach out for support to family, friends and any practitioners you work with who are available online. But most of all, what we need is self-compassion because we are doing the very best we can in a challenging situation.