Covid-19 – our collective stress test

Ok…so, after a few weeks, we are all, more or less, adjusting to a global
pandemic called Covid-19, I assume. (How) are you adjusting???
Unprecedented times, unprecedented times indeed. Never seen stuff
happening like this ever before in the 55 years I walk on this planet called
earth. The social distancing, the isolation, the economic repercussions that
are already beginning to show…
We are not just attacked by a pandemic, but also by an infodemic…It
seems everybody has something to say about this virus, about the
situation we are now in, but think about it: who really knows, since this is
all supposedly very new?
What I see happening, is that on one hand, this Covid-19 makes the
differences between people disappear: black,white, purple with yellow
spots, poor or rich, everybody can catch this virus. I see social initiatives
and a kind of fraternization happening.
On the other hand, I see a schism appearing: panic buying, arguments
over toiletpaper; whoa, isn’t that the very visual outgrowth of poverty
awareness? Totally fearbased? People of different opinions defending
those opinions harshly…Well, you may want to ask yourself: if the words
you think would appear on your skin, would you still be beautiful? And
then there are conspiracy theories…people talking mandatory vaccination,
mandatory app(s)…Whoa! Wait! What about human rights? Freedom?
Privacy? And, oh boy, the role of the (social) media in all of this…

In the beginning of this quarantine, I started feeling like there was a war
going on. There have been wars with a known enemy, like the second
world war and not to long ago there was also the ‘war on terror’. This time
it is a war against an invisible enemy, causing a lot of terror all over the
globe.
This intense feeling, that I am still not able to fully shake to this day,
brought me back to Anne Frank and it made me re-read her diary. It
sparked my admiration for this teenager once again. Just imagine: being
an adolescent and instead of taking in the outside world through all of
your senses, you are being locked up for over two years of your precious
life. Not being able to live through the seasons…Imagine how far people

will go, how much freedom they are willing to hand in to keep ‘safe’, to
hang on to this life. How blessed we are with our ‘intelligent lockdown’, we
are at least still allowed to stick our nose outside every now and then…
Did you notice that all news broadcasts, press conferences, all figures that
are presented to us, the one and a half meter society, the isolation, the
panic buying and so on and so forth, is based on (an overwhelming) fear?
And what happens when you get scared, when you feel your life is in
mortal danger, may it be true or perceived? Your primitive brain takes
over, your awareness narrows, your stress system jumps into gear and
not just that, but it goes into overdrive. In short: your biology takes over
(and boy, does my biology take over sometimes!) and this virtually
eliminates your ability to think logically and it disrupts your system in a
big way. It is not for nothing that it is said that this is a time of ‘collective
trauma’. And what is one of the characteristics of trauma? You think/feel
you cannot get out of a given situation and again: true or perceived. So, it
is not surprising that people with PTSD or unresolved trauma can have a
really hard time in this period of isolation, which might mean re-occuring
nightmares, dissociation, panic attacks and so on.
Besides fear-stress-trauma I see popping up big time, I have something
else that keeps pulling on my heartstrings. People are social creatures.
Social distancing, isolation, intelligent lockdown, feels like, no, not just
feels like, but IS deprivation. Deprivation of a basic human need, a basic
human right. Remember, babies that cannot be touched whatever the
cause, will have a bigger chance of disruption of the nervous system.
Moreover, this deprivation makes a person more susceptible for whatever
manipulation and will be easier to break and to follow the ‘leader’. And
that adds to my fear.
Is there a solution for all of this? Well, I don’t know. I suppose the way
out of this, is different for everyone. At this point in time, I have
unresolved trauma myself, so my capacity is not always there, which
means, sometimes one thing works, sometimes I need something else.
I found some basic things though, which I will share gladly:
 the question: what can I learn from this today? One answer that
keeps coming back every day is, that there are no answers in the
outside world; you can only find them inside. So, turn inwardly and
become your own parent.
 the question: what is most important in your life today? The answer
to this question can be different every day.

 treat your own anxiety with compassion.
 rest if you need to rest.
 follow your heart’s desire.
 don’t push yourself. Allow yourself to unwind. Just observe your
inner being. Meditate.
 mourn, cry, laugh when you have to. Don’t suppres. Emotions are
energy and they need to flow.
 listen to uplifting podcasts.
 read a book.
 write, journal, draw, paint. Get creative.
 focus on something positive if possible. Mother Earth seems to be
healing and so are you. Everything will pass and so will this.
 focus on gratitude. Whatever your situation is, there is always
something to be grateful for. If you like, you are welcome to join the
Facebook group The attitude of gratitude.
 be of help to somebody.
 try to keep moving. Energy needs to move. A lot of teachers offer
online training these days.
 try to eat healthy; take extra vitamins if you need to.

I hope to meet you on the other side of Covid-19 and I would love to hear
your stories. Maybe it is early days, but I plan to make a bundle out of
your stories on how you cope with the situation we are all in. A book on a
defining point in history. If you are interested, please get in touch!
Stay safe, stay healthy, love to you all,

Myoki