One easy way to decrease stress and anxiety during COVID-19 with 12 benefits
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Life doesn’t seem to care that there is a pandemic. The washing machine breaks. Your car won’t start. Your roof leaks. You have a full blown argument with your partner. Or worse—this all happens during the same week. The everyday stressors not only mount, but may require a new approach during COVID-19 as people may have less patience, services limited, and materials being less available and/or more costly. Knowing how to cope when many stressful events happen simultaneously can help you move through this unprecedented time with more ease.
I recently learned about making burden baskets as seen in Native American and African cultures. The basket acts as a container to hold all of your concerns. While no basket weaving is required (even though it is a relaxing process) follow me here. Just grab yourself a pen, paper, and some simple drawing art materials if you would like. If you have a basket, that’s great. Grab it too. Any container will do.
Write each concern you have on a separate piece of paper and place it in the basket. You can even draw an image to go with each concern using colors and simple images to represent your feelings. Just writing or drawing out the concern will help you acknowledge it and elicit a sense of validation. Writing your worries and placing them in your burden basket also has the following benefits:
Giving a place to contain your feelings so you are less likely to ruminate about them
Acknowledging your feelings decreases the inclination to avoid them which in turn decreases anxiety
Staying focused on what is relevant
Prioritizing what needs to be done so you don’t feel so overwhelmed
Decreasing the chance you will react to a problem and instead gives distance to reflect on it and respond to it with more objectivity
Giving you space from the problem
Helping you think of other options not first in your awareness for better strategy
Gaining more perspective
Noticing themes not first seen
Seeing relatedness between issues
Prioritizing your energy and attention to go the distance
Creating a path or plan for tackling each issue to decrease worrying about it because you acknowledged it.
As each problem gets resolved, remove it from your basket and replace it with an image or token of healing. Pay it forward if you will. Share this basket filled with symbols of love and healing with someone who is having a difficult time.
I hope your burdens are few at this time and wish you and yours wellness. If you feel overwhelmed and need assistance, please feel free to contact me at 610.329.1684 for a free 15-minute consultation.
