It’s Friday. Usually that’s a time when we sign with relief and start to unwind for the weekend. Not sure what this weekend will feel like, but it felt like a good time to post some more inspiration.
Anxiety and Uncertainty in the Age of Coronavirus
I’ve written before about my tendency to expect the worst, so it won’t surprise my readers to know that I’m struggling to cope with the uncertainty and fear generated by COVID19. And I know that’s true for just about every one of you, too. And one of the things I do best is curate information to share with you, so I thought that might be one way I could help you (and me) cope. This special edition of the blog is a compilation of the best advice I’ve seen over the past few days. There are lots of resources here, so you may want to digest one or two at a time. Dip into all the collective wisdom here.
Should you break up with the news?
Lately I’ve heard some version of this statement from several clients and friends:
I’m taking a break from the news.
I feel a little guilty, but I’m on a news hiatus.
I know I should be paying attention, but I just can’t look at the news right now.
I haven’t read any news in over a week, and it’s been good for my mental health.
I took a Facebook break so that I could get away from the news.
Expecting the Worst
I excel at expecting the worst. I have a vivid imagination, and when something happens, my mind leaps ten steps ahead constructing a worst case scenario. In my twenties, I learned that psychologist Albert Ellis had coined a term to describe what I was doing. He called it “awfulizing,” imagining that things are as bad as they can possibly be.