We have collectively witnessed multiple and devastating traumas since 2020 – police brutality in the news and on social media everyday/all day, the inertia of racism and racial reckoning, the uncertainty of the global Rona pandemic, daily images of corpses wrapped in bags, natural disasters, climate change, loss and grief, isolation, and so much more.

Very few of us have remained emotionally unscathed. Our collective trauma and impact on our mental and physical health cannot be quantified. It has festered, spread, and , at times, psychologically immobilized. It has been exhausting beyond comprehension. And yet, we roll out of bed and go to work or hop on Zoom. Even when we are not okay, we have to be. Collectively we have mourned together. We have been enraged together. We cried together. We have held each other up with joy and laughter. We have not experienced…alone. The hopelessness we have both felt and feared? It’s become normal.

Many have faced challenges that have been stressful, overwhelming, and caused strong emotions in adults and children. Responses to stressful events are unique and varied. Some individuals may be irritable or clingy, and some may become depressed, anxious, or emotionally withdraw, demand extra attention, or have difficulty with self-care, sleeping, eating, and intimacy. For these reasons alone, we need to be intentional about our own resilience and mental wellness. Our emotional wellbeing is not only the way we feel safe and grounded, but it helps maintain our immune system and remain healthy.

Learning to cope with stress and modulate emotions in a healthy way will allow you and those around you to become more resilient.

So, Tell Me It’s important to identify and understand the landscape of “your” mental health during times of high stress, crisis, and trauma, 

  • How did the pandemic affect your mental health?
  • What effect have the past months since the pandemic had on your life?
  • How did you take care of your physical health?
  • When the world had to quickly adapt, how did you cope or not cope?
  • What were/are your internal and external triggers?
  • If you have children, how did you support their emotions? What worked and did not work?