30 April 2020
In the space of six weeks the country and our lives have turned upside down. Ever so gently, our worlds are opening up. But new freedoms come with more change and different complexities.
It’s no wonder anxiety, stress, confusion, anger and loneliness are all being reported at increased levels by Australians, according to findings of a survey by Vox Pop Labs in collaboration with the ABC.
At the six-week milestone, refocusing can help recovery
Dealing with the crisis and trauma of a crisis, like this pandemic, can have the potential to derail our other priorities in life.
According to Dr Rob Gordon, psychologist and Australian Red Cross consultant in disaster recovery, now is the time to refocus and remember the things that were important before the pandemic.
“With COVID-19, to begin with we are all got worried about having to deal with a serious illness coming out of the blue, and then we transfer that to how do we cope with isolation and then for many people we then transfer that to the question of financial disruption and very serious financial crisis,” Dr Gordon explains.
“Of course initially when you’re coping with all the immediate changes, and how we live our lives from home rather than the patterns you were in, you are totally focused on the present moment.”
The risk, that Dr Gordon has seen in other disasters, is that we stay in that state, improvising our lives from one moment to the next, as we tackle all our problems.
And as a consequence we lose touch with our real priorities.
What mattered pre-pandemic still counts
Family life, your relationships, health, career goals, retirement, holidays?
Whatever mattered before COVID-19, should be nurtured and cared for again.