Coronavirus: Adapting to Change

Article by Reiki Master Brooke Chang

During this Coronavirus pandemic, humanity is struggling with our survival.  This is a major world event where all humanity is facing our worst fears without exception.  We are all struggling, but some may be more able to adapt to the constant changes during these difficult times, and fare more successfully than others.

The key to successfully surviving this pandemic is the ability to adapt to changes forced upon humanity daily.  Many are unwilling or unable to adapt to the changes of sheltering at home, inability to work, working from home, and homeschooling their children. For these individuals, they may fare poorly.

The first step to adapting to change is the ability and willingness to accept what is happening.  Acceptance is not giving up, but the ability to face the reality before us and continuing with our lives.  Acceptance is about moving forward and continuing with our lives, even if it is inconvenient, unfamiliar, difficult, and frightening. This acceptance takes courage, but all humans have this courage and have the ability to adapt to change. This is the reason for our ability to survive as the dominant specie on earth.

Acceptance comes in many forms.  It can be accepting the lack of physical freedom to travel in public, eating the same foods at home for many weeks, and living with your family members in close quarters.  Another aspect of acceptance is accepting yourself as human.  You may experience meltdowns, but don’t unpack and live there.  You may feel great sadness, fear and panic at different points in your day.  You may feel anger, irritability, resentment, and insecurities in the span of several minutes.  Accept yourself for who you are, forgive yourself, and ask for forgiveness from your loved ones after a meltdown.

Finding acceptance of our reality is the first step to adapting to this change forced upon all humanity during this pandemic.  The second step is the ability to move forward in spite of these constant changes.  Moving forward means you are able to get out of bed, feed yourself and your family, get on the scheduled work conference call on time or file for unemployment, and complete the necessary household chores along with your family.

Here are my ten recommendations for adapting to Coronavirus changes while sheltering at home:

1. Keep a routine or regular schedule by getting up and going to sleep at the same time each day. Eat meals at regular set times as much as possible. Our minds and bodies need a routine to feel secure and stay healthy, as well as helping our immune system function optimally.
2. Schedule one activity each day for yourself or your family, such as game night, movie night, date night, etc. as part of a weekly routine.
3. Keep a regular modified work schedule even if you’re not working.  Write a new resume, look for a job, file for unemployment, give yourself work assignments each day or week to prepare yourself for your return to work, such as learning a new job skill or software program.
4. If you’re working from home, compartmentalize your work life from your home life as much as possible.  Your work space should be in a different room than your bedroom or living area.  If you don’t have a large home, designate a part of your living area for working, and stick to that space.  If you have a home office, close the door to your work space after work hours, if available, to segregate work time from home time.
5. Exercise or meditate each day.  Take a walk in your neighborhood for 20 minutes, practice yoga or meditation, work in your yard, clean the house, work in your garden, and/or spend time in nature for grounding and fresh air.
6.  In addition to eating meals at regular times, eat healthy meals with fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water every day, and reduce processed foods and refined sugars.
7. Refrain from reading the news, social media, and browsing the internet near bedtime.  Read a novel/book or listen to calming music immediately before bedtime to relax your mind.  This will help you sleep better by reducing anxiety and fear.
8.  Get enough sleep each night that you need, and take a short nap during the day if you have difficulty sleeping through the night.
9. Give yourself time to grieve for loss of our freedom, loss of your loved ones, or loss of  your job.
10. Give yourself permission to fall off your routine, but remember to get back on as soon as you are able. Be flexible with your schedule as it may change from week to week.

The success of surviving this pandemic is the ability to adapt to changes as they happen. My above recommendations also may change a week or a month from now, but you get the idea about adapting to changes through acceptance.  Like the weather, change is part of life.  Change is the constant.  May you stay healthy and safe during this pandemic, and may you find acceptance to adapt to changes during these difficult times.

Please contact Brooke Chang Certified Reiki Master for a consultation or appointment at (951) 821-0825, or Contact Form. Please see Available Services at Brooke Chang Reiki Therapy. (Copyright 2020 Wan Brooke Chang with All Rights Reserved)

Please Note: This article is provided for informational purposes only, and not intended as specific holistic health advice to the reader. Therefore, reading this article does not create a practitioner/client relationship. Reiki Therapy is meant to be used as a complement to traditional care, and does not substitute for qualified medical or traditional care.