Covid Mental Resilience
The Great Covid Disruption – where are you now?
The Great Covid Disruption has infiltrated into so many areas of our collective and individual lives. From the perspective of the human givens, how should you evaluate your life now and its capacity to deliver Covid mental resilience?
Covid mental resilience: Three questions you should be asking
One: How well or badly are your essential human needs being met now?
This is the essential starting point. A life where human needs are well met will always be emotionally and mentally resilient and strong.
Two: Comparing your life now with before Covid: What differences do you see with reference to your essential human needs?
Be aware of the significant differences between now and then consider the reasons why.
Three: To what extent do the differences between now and then reflect the evolving Covid disruption
Both the periodic heavy lockdowns and the increasing preponderance of at least partial (but not complete) easing may have impacted on your financial circumstances, your family and community connections as well as your capacity to fulfil important elements of your previous life. And it is not just the provision of imposed external changes but the more diffuse and changes of social attitudes, the media narrative and how you are now engaging.
So, what have you realised when you compare now with then? How much have the external changes impacted? How much flexibility have you to make the changes you have needed to still get your needs met? To what degree has the epidemic changed your outlook – with regard to safety and security, life priorities and attitude to risk and uncertainty?
Your human needs experience in comparison between now and then will be consistent with your levels of stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and addictive behaviours now. Are you amazed or not by the correspondence you find? If your needs are being well met then your stress levels will be low and you will be free of depression, anxieties and addictions.
Auditing Human Needs
The questions asked in the Human Givens Needs Audit.
1. I had a sense of control over day to day events.
2. I was able to relax when I felt I needed to.
3. I felt able to give attention to others.
4. I felt that life was meaningful.
5. I had interest or pleasure in doing things.
6. I felt able to remain calm enough when dealing with challenging situations.
7. I had time and space for myself.
8. I felt safe and secure.
9. I slept well.
10. I had a sense of closeness or connection with someone.
11. I felt positive and hopeful.
12. I dealt with my problems effectively.
13. I felt that I’m achieving something.:
14. I felt valued and respected.
15. I received positive attention.
For those who were and remain Covid resilient
Congratulations. You have the resources and life situation to be mentally and emotionally healthy. Do you understand why this is so?
Might you be amongst the significant minority who have flourished in this new world – with income unaffected and able to work effectively at home?
Or have you found your life circumstances significantly different, but able to adapt and make the changes needed?
For those who have a deterioration in human needs and raised levels of stress and day-to-day dysfunction.
To what extent does this primarily represent significant change to your life circumstances – work, family, finances and health? Are you dealing with loss – of close family, of ambition and business? Is there trauma that needs to be cleared away?
Spring water gathers at the mountain top and then begins its journey down to the sea. There is always enough volume of new water on the journey to the sea and there is never a disappointing ending in waterlogged fields and marshes. We know that the water is resourceful and powerful and will always find a way around objects and obstructions to reach its final destination.
Monitoring Mental Resilience
Questions asked in the Free Human Givens Consultation Questionnaire.
Are you Depressed?
1. I am mentally and emotionally exhausted?
2. I can barely drag myself out of bed in the morning?
3. I cannot escape thoughts and obsessions, even though they are doing me no good?
4. I have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep?
Are you Anxious?
5. I am tense, anxious or nervous?
6. I am watching and aware how my body is feeling and reacting?
7. My head is full of negative “what if” scenarios?
8. There are situations or phobias that terrify me when I am exposed to them?
Addicted/Obsessions?
9. I have unwanted images or memories that are distressing me?
10. I am living with a past event or experience that extended over a long period of time?
11. I have self sabotaging patterns that appear again and again?
12. I have addictions – either food, alcohol, substances, behaviour or obsessive thoughts?
This is my question to you. Since the lockdown, what new ways have you found to get your essential emotional needs met around relationships, satisfying work, meaning and purpose? Are you surprised and delighted by your resilience and flexibility?
Resources to use Now
Resources to use Now
How can I help you?
Free 30 min Human Givens Consultation
