As we continue to live through Covid-19 and all of its ramifications a few things are becoming increasingly clear. First of all- it’s not going away anytime soon and secondly- once the pandemic is “done” we will all have to find a way to adjust to and live with a new “normal” that remains unknown to us at this time.
Adjusting for some of us will mean grieving lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost “ways” of being and dealing with compromised relationships & health while trying to navigate whatever our new “normal” looks like.
Lately, not a day goes by without an article in the news discussing a new and more dangerous pandemic over the long term. A potential tsunami of mental health issues affecting large swaths of our societies for many years to come. Observations from health professionals are concerning as they point to growing levels of anxiety, depression and emotional burnout. Even more worrying is that people who have not experienced any previous issues with mental health before Covid-19 are now starting to crack and burn out under its pressure.
People are being pushed beyond their limits. None of us are bullet proof and we all engage in unhealthy coping patterns from time to time. But what happens when that “time to time” becomes a new habit as we all face what seems to be a daily battle of endurance where we deal with ever changing levels of acute and chronic stress?
Today the numbers are down, phew, I can relax, the numbers are in at work and so far, we’re holding on, so I’ll have a job until Christmas. Damm! My child’s school just reported a case and on and on and on. Living this way for extended periods of time puts all of us at risk for suffering from the effects of chronic stress even when the pandemic is over. Unhealthy coping patterns, burnout and chronic stress can become a permanent part of our lives if we are not careful to recognize their existence and affects.
However, this post is not strictly about the adult world and what Covid 19 has done to it and us specifically, it’s actually not about us at all….
This post is about our children and the long term affects that this pandemic may have on their lives. Interrupted school schedules, lost or fractured friendships, no sports, wearing masks, stressed adults, uncertainty and fear. Whatever we have felt over the past 9 months, they have felt it much more acutely. Their whole worlds have been torn apart and re-organized. As adults we at least have some control over our lives, imagine going through this experience with little personal agency or control? That is what our children have been doing.
This is why, we are putting together a free video series that will show you how to teach your children to be mindful and meditate. The benefits for adults are numerous, but even more substantial for children. Mindfulness is a tool that will help them develop healthy ways of coping with stress, so they don’t suffer long term negative consequences from what is currently happening around them. Taking the time now to help them develop improved coping skills will pay off in their future as they will experience improved levels of emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. For a lot of us, we find ourselves battling old and ineffective ways of coping and struggle to develop new ones. Let’s not put our children in that position, let’s help them get it right from the start. We hope you enjoy our first instalment.
Meditative Solutions 