Don't PANdemIC

So, we're still here.

We were here yesterday, and we will be here tomorrow. But, wherever "here" is for you, whether it's at home and alone or surrounded by fighting children in your parent's basement, remember... it will be okay.

Some of us, myself included, may be feeling a little panic set in as we round week 1 of our quarantine, but let me remind you that panic is a momentary eruption of emotion. Panic is temporary, and it will subside.

Panic by definition is the feeling of sudden and uncontrollable fear or anxiety very often prompted by a fear of the unknown. And, it's that aspect, the "unknowns" of our equation, that right now have a great many of us, some of which have never before experienced panic, more anxious then ever. You may be reading this hoping that I somehow have the knowledge to fill in the blanks for you- to reveal the unknowns, but I don't. Truth is, all the tips and tricks on "how to deal with quarantine and the pandemic" will only work if they work for you. Most of the things that I or any mental health professional would recommend for pandemic and quarantine related anxiety are things that: A. typically help alleviate most general anxieties, and B. you should be doing anyway. So, practice self-care, get good sleep and for goodness sake reach out if this all becomes too much for you to handle. But, don't stop there... meditate, unplug, read, focus on family, learn something new. Do all the things that you didn't do before, but should have, and I promise you, not only will you feel better, but you'll be better equipped to handle the next series of scary unknowns.

Take it one day at a time, take time for yourself and reach out if you need to. You'll make it through this. I promise.

See you on the other side.

Ang