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Wednesday, April 8, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Your Story
MATTERS
Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP
Columnist
Withstanding
the ripples
Work the last few weeks
has been interesting to say
the least. The impact of
COVID-19 has created a
ripple effect for all of us.
For those of us who are
privileged, the greatest
adjustment may be an unfa-
miliar boredom as we sift
through Netflix, learn how
to prepare meals again, and
try meditating. Those of us
used to a full plate, multi-
tasking, and accessible dis-
traction, may find discom-
fort in the stillness.
Unresolved trauma and
grief tend to surface in
quiet times and if support
is unavailable, the quietness
can be traumatic in itself. In
contrast, others are getting
to rest, reflect, and perhaps
heal for the first time.
And then there are those
of us with legitimate panic
married with immense grief
and adjustment. Incomes
that dissipated in an instant;
support systems that dis-
solved; hopes that were not
realized; family members
that fell ill; and death.
For some, COVID-19
has meant a few ripples eas-
ily withstood akin to the
impacts of a small pebble.
For others, it may well have
been an asteroid.
There is no guidebook
I have had many clients
ask, <How should I be cop-
ing with this?=
There is little to be said
for shoulds and should nots
in this uncharted situation.
There is no guidebook.
COVID-19 has not been
the popularized romanti-
cized slowdown for many,
while for others it has
allowed for unexpected sil-
ver linings. There can be
guilt and discomfort on both
sides of the fence: guilt for
feeling positive while oth-
ers are struggling and guilt
for feeling angry and afraid
instead of mindful and
grateful. Both sides of the
fence are valid, are accept-
able, and can coexist.
While there is much soli-
darity and collectivism in
the COVID-19 human expe-
rience, how we are each nav-
igating this virgin territory
is uniquely informed by our
social position, privilege,
background, past experi-
ences, and core beliefs. This
demands grace and patience
for ourselves as well as for
others. Accepting the ambi-
guity, the awkwardness, and
the uncertainty is central to
our resilience as we let go of
the tension between percep-
tions of right and wrong.
Returning to the Basics
Ultimately my sugges-
tions in this pandemic are
not so different from what I
might encourage amid other
situations involving grief or
trauma.
Do your best to stay on
a routine. The power of a
schedule is that it allows for
some predictability during
very unpredictable times.
Try to uphold what I have
deemed <the four founda-
tions of wellness.=
" Sleep: Have a wind-
down routine. Do your best
to go to bed on a schedule
and wake up on a sched-
ule. Staying out of bed dur-
ing the day helps you have
better sleep at night so do
yourself a favor and watch
Netflix anywhere other than
in your bed.
" Nutrition: Do your best
to eat whole foods and lots
of plants. Try to stay away
from processed foods and
sugars. Your immune sys-
tem will be happier too.
" Physical movement:
Whether you stream yoga
on YouTube or get outside
while being conscious of
distancing for your daily
run, please find a way to
stay active.
" Connection: To people.
To spirituality. To nature.
This has been more chal-
lenging, but in this time it
is so very important. Zoom
coffee dates, scheduled
phone sessions, spiritual
practices, and when safe,
enjoy nature.
Gaining Perspective
The last few weeks I find
myself scouring quotes from
wartime leaders 4 Lincoln,
Churchill, Roosevelt,
Kennedy, and more who
faced immense adversity
and had to rally resilience
and some form of hope in
times of such bleakness.
I have been thinking a lot
about my late grandmother,
a Holocaust survivor, the
trials and resilience exem-
plified by my parents and
other family members, the
grit of the <lost generation=
of folks born between 1883-
1900 who had to endure
the Spanish Flu, two world
wars, the Great Depression,
and maybe even the Cold
War& And finally, I have
been reflecting a lot on the
resilience of my clients who
have faced adversity far
greater than the threat of a
virus.
While it is perhaps easy
for me to say having been
thus far lucky amid current
circumstances, our country
and our world has seen dark
days before and will see
dark days again. There is
a solidarity to be gained in
collective grief and struggle.
My hope is that out of such
we can salvage lessons of
humility, resilience, collec-
tivism, and innovation.
Kindness, The Other
Ripple Effect
Social media has his-
torically been a hotbed for
filtered comparison. It has
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THANK YOU to all our readers
who have let us know how much
they appreciate The Nugget Newspaper
been a platform to present a
desired image and good or
bad, COVID-19 has quickly
reorganized priorities.
Suddenly, it seems a
bit removed to be posting
diet plans, filtered selfies,
your new car, or relation-
ship woes. What does seem
to be trending however&
kindness.
And kindness has created
its own ripple effect. The
generous and philanthropic
acts of others popularized
and made public have led us
to question how we can our-
selves contribute.
For those of us who are
privileged, this is our oppor-
tunity to support our neigh-
bors. It is our responsibility
as Americans (and global
citizens) to do what we can
to uphold our values of life,
liberty, and happiness. And
personally, I believe the
grassroot efforts among our
communities are likely to do
more for instilling hope and
healing than the policies of
our governments.
So to conclude, words
from Winston Churchill:
<We make a living by
what we get, we make a life
by what we give.=
Wishing everyone health
and safety.
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