The ‘coronacoaster’

Whilst we’re in the midst of this crazy situation with the Coronavirus pandemic, I’m sure we’re all experiencing that ‘coronacoaster’ of emotions. I know I am, almost on a daily basis, one moment I feel great, liberated, excited and connected to the global community, but other times I’m feeling stressed, worried and lonely. I know I’m not alone with that, as we’re all either facing new worries that this crisis has created or dealing with feelings that were already difficult before coronavirus struck.

Whilst we’re all social distancing, you may find yourself ‘stuck with your emotions’ more often, and may have not have access to tools that might have distracted from uncomfortable feelings such as performing live, writing in a studio or rehearsing with your band.

Negative emotions like anger, sadness, fear and loneliness are not all bad. They actually provide us with some really important feedback about how we feel about a specific situation, person or time. So we don’t want to not feel those feelings, they’re important, but you also don’t want to hold onto negative emotions past the point where they are ready to be released.

That’s when they can become unhealthy for your mind and body. You know how a grudge against a person or situation feels when it’s gone on for too long… When you start to feel overwhelmed it’s important to have a release.

How can you release emotions?

    There are so many healthy ways to deal with emotions, there really is no need to sit with it and cause even more distress. Be kind to yourself and release what you’re feeling at this tricky time.

    • First of all, and this is one I need to work a bit harder on personally… Be kind. Allow yourself to be human!!! This is a very unique situation and we’re all experiencing it differently (although we’re all in the same storm, we’re not all in the same boat). On occasion, you’re going to make some mistakes; you’re going to feel afraid, guilty, anxious, angry etc. And that’s all completely normal. So extend a little kindness to YOU by responding the way you would respond if it was a friend speaking to you about the same troubles. Forgive yourself and let yourself feel.
    • Embrace vulnerability. Being able to acknowledge, experience and speak about your emotions is HARD!!! I think one of the hardest skills we can master as human beings. So it’s not a sign of weakness… It’s the exact opposite, it’s a sign of strength. Embrace it and give yourself permission to share with others and with yourself when you’re struggling.
    • Review coping strategies. Think about how you react when you experience difficult emotions. Write those coping strategies down on separate pieces of paper / post it notes or write on a single piece of paper and tear each strategy out. Categorise them into 3 categories: very useful, temporary fix, good for nothing. You can then pick out of the ‘very useful’ pot whenever you need to. Why not add some extras like a VENTING hour every day where you can let it all out. Check out our free worksheet here to help with this process.
    • Let yourself feel. The way to move through difficult emotions is to notice what you’re feeling, let yourself feel it and try to work out what your body / mind is trying to tell you through this emotion. What can you learn? Talk about it, write it down, draw a picture, seek help from a friend or a therapist. You may or may not get a clear answer, but still give yourself some time to really experience the emotion itself. Find a safe place to express that emotion as we spoke about before and thank your mind and body for helping you to release it. 

    We’d love to hear your thoughts.

    How have you RELEASED emotions throughout this lockdown?

    If you’ve enjoyed this pool of resources, then please share the links far and wide to support as many people as possible in this unique situation.

    As always, if you’d like to chat to us please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.