Day 7 - 122 -- Discovering Coping Strategies

A day with mixed feelings -- mainly good, but those daily moments of less pleasant thoughts did appear. For a few minutes today, in my mind was an image of families on either side of a border unable to see each other -- split apart with little to no warning and no way to communicate. Being isolated has moments when it feels a bit like what I imagine others might have felt in those situations. In this privileged part of the world, many of us have ways of connecting electronically, but the need to see them in person is no less overwhelming -- just to see that they are alright and to hug them. I have to believe that things will get back to some form of travel but that date is a moving target. The possible date just gets further and further away as we work to continue to find ways of coping with the emotional side of not seeing folks we care about in person.

Most times when in the midst of darker thoughts, somethings happen to change the perspective to one that is more positive. It could be a song, the flowers of spring, a walk in a gentle rain, a note from someone, or seeing a friendt and having a chat from 10 feet away. Today all of these occurred, leading to an overall good day feeling. That may be one of the good things about the current isolating experience. For many people, the smaller moments of joy may be seen as the good parts of the day. Being more mindful of such moments, may help us to hold onto the good in the day, while acknowledging, but minimizing the less pleasant aspects.

The song today came to mind as I recognized the positive effect of refocusing thoughts to something less dark. This strategy worked well over the past couple of days, so the goal is to continue. The song has a strong, upbeat sound with a melody and lyrics that can help refocus thoughts quickly. A wonderful band and front man. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Don't Stop Me Now -- Queen