Corona Virus: Breakdowns & Breakthroughs
It's amazing how the world can change in the matter of a week. Business shut down, millions are out of work, and everyone is forced to stay at home in many parts of the world. It's a horrifically unfortunate turn of events that has everyone on edge and worried about their own ability to provide for themselves and their families. Being locked up in your home with little to do may also leave you stir-crazy. This situation may as well be considered a major breakdown for many of us. It places undue stress, introduces many problems that need to be addressed immediately, and can be a major driving force to push us to take action. In this article, we will explore possible ways to handle ourselves during this pandemic, and even handle other major problems going on in our lives.
First, let us break down a..."breakdown." Often, this refers to extremely emotionally taxing events that induces high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and/or any other negative/counterproductive emotions. Some examples may include divorce, a lawsuit, an argument, it may even be a result of many minor issues stacking up. This certainly applies in the creative world, from "How can I draw this hand right?" to "I can't think of anything to write!" This world-wide virus certainly is no exception. A breakdown will put a bind on us, especially those of us less mentally and emotionally able to handle ones. Why is this important? It is a crucial skill to have as it helps us solve issues. If mastered, it would vastly accelerate your growth, and allow you to learn new skills and adapt to changes much more efficiently. Wouldn't it be amazing if you were able to not only survive, but thrive in an environment that would otherwise have placed you in a much worse situation?
Identifying Breakdowns The trickiest part is being able to identify a breakdown. In the moment, we are pushed to focus on our emotional state and the situation. This inhibits our ability to take a step back and truly figure out how to resolve such a crisis. Like physical exercise, identifying breakdowns will take practice. But once a level of mastery is achieved, you'll develop the habit of saying "Wait a minute...this is a breakdown. It's serious, but I know I can take care of it!" Oddly enough, this is the very first step: verbally admitting it is a breakdown. It's easier to treat a disease if we're able to identify it first. Same goes for breakdowns. How do we break ourselves apart from the crisis, quell our emotional state for that moment, and properly address the issue at hand? If we're unable to identify it in the moment, then we can take time to reflect on it after it's happened. Picking up the habit of journaling can be proven useful, not just for helping us through breakdowns, but for a wide variety of needs. After we're able to recognize it in our journals and reflection, it will give us a better chance to consciously acknowledge a situation next time. Being able to consciously become aware of a breakdown requires you to mentally shift your consciousness away from the situation, even for a second. At first, you may have to 'force' your mind to shift, and you will feel resistance to it. To make it easier, try coming up with a physical action that would tie it to identifying a breakdown. A couple examples may include squeezing a stress ball, scratching the palm of your hand, or even a simple deep breath. Afterwards, you can then say "breakdown". Practicing this throughout your day to day life can give you a better chance to help identify a breakdown. Handling Breakdowns
Once a breakdown is identified, now what? The problem hasn't gone away. One of the first things you should consider is emptying out your emotions. Bottling them up will cause them to be released at the worst possible times. It is better to release them in a controlled, and safe environment. If the issue at hand involves solely you, or you fear of hurting a relationship with anyone, find a closed off space that you may verbally rant as much as you need. Preferably, this space should be sound-proof so there won't be having anyone else worry. This could be in your bedroom, in your car, a basement, etc. Once you have your space, let those emotions fill you. Acknowledge all of your negative emotions. Envision the problem crisis, amplify it as high as it can go, and let yourself explode! Get all your anger and frustration out into the air. Don't worry about how logical your reasoning is while venting, this is solely for the sake of emptying out your emotions. You'll know when you're done when your throat is sore, tears are rolling over your eyes, and you've run out of things to say. You'll feel drained physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Once you're done venting to yourself, you may return to whoever you were addressing (if anyone) and return to the issue at hand.
With a more cleared mind, you'll be more capable at tackling mountainous issues. Now it's time to answer a few questions:
How severe is the situation on a scale of 1-10?
Is this an issue you can change?
If you can't change it, then what can you influence?
What is/was your goal?
What were your results?
What worked and what didn't work?
What would you do differently knowing what you know now?
What do you declare you'll do now, and when?
With these questions, you'll be able to properly analyze your situation and forge a possible solution, especially when you set goals and create a plan of action. Be sure to write your plan of action down, set dates, and stick to it. Sure, life gets in the way and we get thrown off our game. Bullshit happens. Yet, it is still our responsibility to break through such breakdowns.
Power of Supportive Friends Don't forget to stay in touch with your closest friends and family who have proven to be supportive of you. It's infinitely easier to tackle issues together than just by yourself, even if all they need to provide is moral support. It's important to know who to involve when you're tackling such problems, as the wrong person may vastly hinder your ability to break out of it. The Corona Virus is a major problem of the world, regardless of whether it's overblown, or whether is a serious threat to humanity. It is up to us to stick to our goals and push forward in times of crisis such as this. In fact, times like these may help us push harder on achieving these goals, especially if we have to stay home. Use all the time and energy to your fullest, take a deep breath, then when you have a clear mind with intent, tackle that issue like how the Doom Slayer tackles demons.
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We hope you found this article helpful! If it inspired you, please subscribe to our blog on: https://www.chainlinkproductions.net/ Breakdowns are nasty, but we can break through them! Next time, we will explore one of the major breakdowns that happened during the Corona Virus: The Comics Industry.