More than ever before: A time to unplug and disconnect?
By Keith Crownover, PhD
Who would have expected that we’d find ourselves in uncharted and unprecedented times, with the current state of this health crisis—COVID-19. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week there is never ending reporting, writing, hypothesizing, presuming, expecting, guessing and some, embellishing, and yes, minimizing of this world health crisis, all available for our consumption. As a society, we are connected to one another and the ongoings of the world, as well as the opinions and various forms of, well…. anything. And, at anytime we choose to log on. What is the impact all of this “information” is having on us? I’ve had several patients tell me that they struggle with knowing they need to walk away and disconnect from it, but battle with an obsessive need to stay in the “know”. This keeps them surfing the internet with almost every spare minute they have (and, sometimes, don’t have).
The impact of the collateral damage from this crisis, may indeed rival the crisis itself. For those who struggle with mental illness, the impact could be the difference between stability and instability. For those who do not, the impact could mean development of a mental illness or at the least, a detrimental difference within one’s peace, well-being, and contentment with life.
What then, should we do? Stick our head in the sand and pretend it’s all a bad dream and that it’s not happening? Or, live in ignorance, disallowing ourselves access to what’s happening in our community, country and world? No, not at all. Perhaps, like the rest of life, we would do well to moderate our exposure, limit how often we scroll through the news, social media, or any of the other tens of thousands of opportunities to read or hear about the COVID-19 crisis.
Additionally, part of our time could be well-spent seeking uplifting and positive aspects of this crisis. There are people that are reaching out and serving those in need; those quarantined. I recently read of a couple of adolescents that play their stringed instruments for their elderly neighbor, as she is isolated and in poor health. There are many stories like this, with many positive acts of kindness and love, happening every day. Often, these stories can get lost, but, in so many ways, when a crisis of some kind occurs, many rise to the occasion and demonstrate the best of humanity.
So…maybe, limit your exposure to the media that contains negative information and connotations regarding this latest challenge that we face. Seek out some positive outcomes connected to this challenge and soak yourself in them for a moment. Then, turn off the electronic device, gather around those that are so very important to you, and enjoy some time talking about past triumphs, funny stories, or future plans.
Most importantly, enjoy the time you have with those you love: Those who are important to you. After all, we often don’t tell the ones who mean the most, just how important they are to us. Nor do we take the time to just enjoy, uninterrupted, total immersion in the moment with those that are so valuable and irreplaceable. Life is uncertain: things happen every day and the moments we miss, cannot and will not be available again. It shouldn’t take a virus to change our lives or the dynamics of the relationships with those closest to us.
Keith Crownover, PhD
Dr. Keith Crownover is a clinical team member at Transforming Life Counseling Center.
