Coronavirus and the (temporary) loss of what we take for granted: How to keep on going.
At the beginning, the coronavirus outbreak was an experience witnessed from a distance, like so many other world crises. Week after week, it is also becoming more real and relevant in this part of the world. From my observation point in Manhattan, I still see people in denial and also see people filled with anxiety. But, what I also see is an increase in irritability, anger, feeling stuck, a sense of sadness, and a feeling of disorientation and deflation. For people who have had experiences of trauma, this outbreak can be more triggering. Since there is so much good advice already circulating about how to deal with anxiety, I will focus here mostly on the other negative feelings.
The (temporary) loss of what we take for granted.
It is not surprising to me that people experience so many feelings. Our life all of a sudden has changed. In this part of the world, we may be familiar with individual catastrophes, but we are not used to serious changes and preoccupations that involve the entire country, except, perhaps, September 11. Hopefully, this will only be in the short term. This loss of things that we take for granted, like the healthiness of the air we breathe, and a diminished sense of our basic sense of safety, can make us feel not only anxious, but also sad, lonely…
