How to reclaim your sense of joy during the coronavirus crisis
During trying times it can be difficult to find joy in the things we once loved, but Yahoo Life Mental Health Contributor Jen Hartstein says it’s not impossible.
“‘Joy’ can mean so many different things to many people. For me, at its core, it means being fulfilled, finding engagement, allowing it to help you with connection,” says Hartstein. “Those are the things that give back to us. Anything that kind of fits that category might be something that’s ‘joyous’ for you,” she adds.
Although feeling “down” during a crisis is to be expected, there are signs you can look out for in yourself or those around you that may indicate a more serious situation.
“If we’re not doing basic self-care, if we’re not eating right, if we’re not sleeping well, if we’re not engaging with others even when we have plans to—virtually, obviously—those are all some red flags we want to start to think about, and if you have concern for someone else because of that you want to make sure that you talk to them about it as well,” says Hartstein.
If the idea of “reclaiming joy” seems overwhelming at this time, Hartstein recommends easing into it.
“Start small. Look at the things that you do like. Look at the things that you do enjoy and build upon them,” she says. “Start with the small things and then little by little those things will build to something bigger.”
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.
