Finding Balance in Uncertain Times
...from all of us at FestivalNet.com to all of you.
It is our sincerest hope that you and your loved ones remain healthy as this pandemic rages and then runs its course. But health isn’t the only concern. Artists, crafters, food vendors and entertainers...our community...depend on groups and gatherings to make a living. And, these are the very things which are being cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19.
The combination of social distancing, self-quarantine, concern for loved ones and economic impact makes for extraordinary stress during these already difficult times. The Centers for Disease Control says how you respond to the pandemic can depend on your background, the things which make you different from other people, and the community you live in. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in both adults and children.
Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include:
The CDC suggests:
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
- Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
If you’re a parent, here are some ways to support your child/ren:
- Take time to talk with your child or teen about the COVID-19 outbreak. Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your child or teen can understand.
- Reassure your child or teen that they are safe. Let them know it is ok if they feel upset. Share with them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you.
- Limit your family’s exposure to news coverage of the event, including social media. Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand.
- Try to keep up with regular routines. If schools are closed, create a schedule for learning activities and relaxing or fun activities.
- Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members.
For support which is less medical, but still medicinal, there’s A Listening Care Package for Uncertain Times from National Public Radio. It’s a collection of podcasts and poetry designed to support your spirit with an emphasis on our interconnectedness, even as we’re called to keep to ourselves.
And, there’s this:
Pandemic
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath —
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world?
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils?
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love —
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
— Lynn Ungar 3/11/20
