At Grit Therapy, our hearts are full of love and compassion for those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19. We send out our deepest condolences to the people across the globe who have had to say goodbye during these difficult times.
Additionally, we are all experiencing many daily losses, and we want to take a moment to validate the sadness and grief of losing our lives as we knew them. We hope you know that it’s ok to grieve those changes, big and small. In fact, we encourage you to get support around your grief; talk to loved ones, make art, write in your journal, have a good cry, spend time identifying thoughts and feelings, reach out to a professional, tell the truth about how you’re feeling.
If you are feeling the weight of loss during this crisis, you are in good company. Over the past few weeks, we’ve noticed grief surfacing around some similar themes for our clinicians and our clients:
Financial stability: Whether you were living paycheck to paycheck, or feeling secure with your savings and retirement, chances are you will feel a shift in the sense of safety and security that you had in your pre-COVID financial situation.
In person connection: We are wired to physically and emotionally connect with one another in person. The loss of in person interaction can take a heavy toll on our spirits, minds, and sense of connection.
Sense of normalcy: There used to be a deeper sense of normalcy. Most of our day to day lives are filled with more unknowing and less predictability than ever before.
Career goals: So many of us were on the verge of a career change, launch, promotion, or advancement. Years of work towards a career goal could be put on hold, or lost completely.
Creative dreams: The fruition of a creative dream can take an immense amount of time, sacrifice, and resources. Many people will have to wait to share albums, publish books, produce shows, sell paintings, make films, etc.
Ability to care for loved ones: For those of us with elderly or sick family members, social isolation means we can’t care for these relatives as we used to, or won’t have the option to travel if our loved ones get sick or pass away.
Vacations: Millions of vacations have been cancelled in the wake of COVID. We know that travel and time off provides a much needed reset for our minds and spirits. Months of planning and saving may have been lost.
Celebrations: Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, parties, graduations, prom night; there is an endless list of important celebrations that are either cancelled, on hold, or moved to an online platform.
Connection to partners: While we may be cooped up with our partner day to day, we might also be noticing a change in our connection. We are under immense stress and fear, which can make it difficult to offer empathy and patience to those around us. You may be less available to your partner, and them to you, leaving you with feelings of loneliness.
Support: We are all in this pandemic together, meaning, we are all experiencing the loss, fear, grief and stress. The supervisors, co-workers, friends, parents, and partners who used to support and cheerlead for us are busy trying to manage their own response to the world. You may find them less available, more edgy, and disconnected.
Daily living activities: Birthday parties, daily walks, exercise, house projects, spiritual and religious meetings/events, retreats, day trips, dental work, so many of the things that make up our daily life are missing.
It’s ok to take a minute to honor these losses, small or large.
Stay tuned for more ideas about caring for your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you feel you need the support of a mental health professional during this time, contact us for more information about tele-therapy.