Shutdown

What do you think of when you hear the word “shutdown?” Do you think about it in terms of an emotional state or a physical state or both? 

In what seems like a blink of an eye, we are now using the word shutdown in a way I would have to say none of us ever thought possible. Shutdown now refers to our “new way of life” (if you can call it that) and how we have all witnessed millions of people lose their jobs, thousands of businesses are either completely shutdown and out of business or are functioning at bare minimums. Either way, the shutdown has affected all of us on some level and for most of us, the emotional effects of the shutdown are just starting to show up. It is the emotional effects of the shutdowns that is causing people to become depressed, lonely, and hopeless. Not a good combination for moving forward in life after the pandemic has released some of it ugly grip on our world. It is hard to wrap one’s head around the idea that everything in our lives and in the world has been affected by the virus and that what we have all been used to in our lives will never be the same again. That is a hard “pill” to swallow. Already restaurants that we all know and have eaten at are closing down permanently. And how about working from home? That has now completely been redefined and the list goes on and on. 

So, how have you been dealing emotionally with the shutdowns? I myself, have pretty much disassociated so that I can just get through each day the best that I can. I know that the future has always been uncertain and unknown, but the reality of that statement has hit me hard and so for now my best coping skill I have is to disassociate and get through each day and do the best I can with what I have at that moment. And keep my fingers crossed that we will all get through this pandemic the best that we can and that things will come out for the better on the other side. What ever better will be.

Namaste, my friends.