Introduction
Normal life presents us with common stress and some worry. But when we add a global pandemic, we can easily feel overwhelmed with anxiety and extreme stress. Typically, we can rely on friends and family to provide the emotional support we need but when everyone around is affected in the same way, anxiety can take control of our thoughts and lead us down a road of panic and distress.
I would like to offer a suggestion, Take 5 Minutes and count down. Throughout this series, I will outline some helpful tips to consider during our natural response to this global pandemic.
I would like to start out by normalizing our natural response to crisis, which usually is emotional. However, we can train our brains to focus on facts instead of fuel our fears. It is normal to feel anxious when we are faced with unknowns. For example, when you walk into a dark room, you will feel uncomfortable until you turn on a light. Such is life, it is normal to feel uncertainty in dark times. Knowing your response is natural should help move us into solutions (turning on the light). We are creatures of habit and we are most comfortable when things go as planned or expected. So during this time, experience your natural response and find ways to get comfortable with the new normal.
This week I would like to count down from 5 to share some tips and suggestions. Much like taking a break, we will take just 5 minutes to consider helpful tips.
Come back every day next week as we explore techniques to calm our stress!
Natashia Slack is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She earned her Bachelor’s in Public Relations from The University of Louisiana at Monroe and her Master’s in Community Counseling from Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans. She has a passion for healing others, especially children. With her 17 years of counseling experience, she loves to mentor and teach other counselors with the hopes of reaching more individuals with quality care. When she isn’t working, she loves to sing, dance, and spend time with her family. Natashia is excited to continue helping and inspiring others!