MARCH 2021 - 1
Feature Intro: Carrying On: Strategies for Coping During COVID and Beyond
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For anyone who has lived longer than a few hours, conflict and crisis are part of life. When we’re young, the conflict might be not playing with a toy a friend has, having to endure nap time per mother’s order or being forced to finish our peas before receiving dessert. As we age, the stakes get higher and the conflicts become, often, long term. There is job loss, death, illness, cross-country moves. Friendships wither and health fades. None of us escapes life without some sort of conflict, and how we deal with the crises in our lives is a key factor in how well these issues are resolved and how long they last. Coping skills are at the heart of conflict and crisis, whether we are aware we are using these skills or not. We cope during times of crisis in many ways. We have certain habits or skills we’ve learned to use from our childhood and others we’ve developed as adults. Some work better than others, but all coping skills are just that: skills. We can hone them, develop them and apply them strategically to best fit the situation and address the issues at hand. According to trusty Merriam-Webster, crisis is defined as “an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending, especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome.” If we look at the current COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of living during a pandemic certainly fit the definition of crisis. These are unstable and crucial times. We are in a state of affairs in which decisive change is impending, and there is the distinct possibility of undesirable outcomes.
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CONTENTS
ASK THE EXPERT: CAREGIVER SUPPORT DURING COVID FEATURE: STRATEGIES FOR COPING DURING COVID AND BEYOND EAT RIGHT: MAKING DIET DECISIONS WELLNESS: PREVENTION IS THE BEST MEDICINE - COLON CANCER