Dealing with Common Losses and Grief Humans Feel During a Pandemic

There is a lot of uncertainty that comes with a pandemic. Alongside the uncertainty is a wide range of loss people can experience. While these losses can be traumatic, there are ways to cope with these losses in the midst of a pandemic and create a new normal amidst the uncertainties.

Loss of Control

When a pandemic hits, the loss of control is a major element that impacts people’s lives. Pandemics change the way life functions and force us to confront the reality that there is a lot more out of our control than we’d like to believe. Loss of control often brings with it anxiety and stress because of the many unknowns attached to it.

One of the best methods for dealing with the loss of control is embracing it. It sounds counterintuitive but releasing those things you cannot control allows you to appropriately focus time and energy on those things you can control.  Then time can be spent creating new routines and implementing new practices to help you navigate this time more effectively.

Loss of Freedom

The pandemic has redefined life as we know it. Our ability to move freely throughout society has seemingly ceased as we’ve all been restricted to our residences and places of essential need (i.e. grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.).

While seemingly insignificant, this inability to move throughout society as we would like takes a mental and emotional toll on many. For some, it can induce feelings of being trapped or isolated, which can be quite devastating.

Coping with the loss of freedom can be challenging, but one way to make the most of the situation is to make the most of the time spent out. We should all be respecting the stay-at-home orders so that we can prevent the spread of the virus and keep ourselves and others safe.

However, when we do go out for essential purposes, we can also squeeze in some self-care by grabbing ourselves a treat / food / drink from a drive-thru or carryout restaurant and going to a scenic spot to eat in the car. Since physical exercise outdoors has also been permitted, making time each day to get some vitamin d by getting outdoors.

Loss of Social Connection

The inability to engage socially with peers and friends is a significant loss brought on by the pandemic. Face-to-face interaction with friends and family offers us critical support and nurturing that we miss when we cannot gather with those we love.

Research by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D. from Brigham Young University found that lack of social connection heightened health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes daily or having an alcohol abuse disorder. The meta-analysis also found that loneliness and social isolation are twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity (Novotney, 2019).

While not being able to congregate in person is not the easiest, there are many ways we can continue to stay connected to those we love and care about. Telephone calls and texting have always been good ways of staying connected, and now those can be used more regularly in the absence of in-person interactions. Social media offers many ways for people to continue to share special moments and updates with one another during this time.

There are a host of video conferencing apps/services such as Zoom and Houseparty that make it possible to do video chats with groups of people at a single time. Businesses, organizations such as churches, and musicians are also turning to online broadcasts as a means of staying connected to their support bases.

So, while it is not the same as face to face interactions, it’s a new way to maintain those relationships that matter most to us.

Loss of Employment

Many industries have experienced the harsh impact the pandemic has had on their ability to maintain their businesses and employees. As a result, many people have and will experience the loss of employment over the next few weeks and even months. This can present significant stress as people try to figure out how to care for their families, pay household bills, and purchase basic household necessities.

Navigating the loss of employment during this season can be quite a challenge with so many uncertainties. One of the best ways to cope during this time is to seek out help and resources. There are organizations and groups such as churches and non-profits that are offering resources such as food and information on how to access unemployment, grants, and other resources during this time.

Many people are coping with an array of losses during this pandemic. As we all try to find ways to navigate this new normal, we should seek to understand and support the people in our lives the best way we can, while also working to implement practices and routines that will help us function at our best during truly unprecedented times.

Ultimately, this period of time, no matter how long it lasts, will not last forever. If we maintain hope for the future and focus on the positives and blessings, we have in this season of life now, we can endure this pandemic with grace.

References:

Novotney, A. (2019, May). The risks of social isolation. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation