“How much longer?” is the question running through so many minds. “How much longer do I have to endure being in quarantine? How much longer do my kids have to stay away from their friends? How much longer do I have to keep my business closed?”
If you could somehow count down to the quarantine’s end, you would feel less frustrated, less aggravated and more hopeful. What is the difference between knowing an end date or not?
Knowing when you’re nearing the end of an ordeal can help you cope better in its midst. For example, if you’ve already done 15 push ups in your exercise class, but you don’t know how many more you have left, you might be tempted to quit. However, if your instructor tells you that you only have three more to go, you’re more likely to pull through. Why is perspective such a game-changer in two otherwise identical situations? Knowing that you only have three push-ups left helps you gain the strength to finish the workout.
Your brain works hard to perceive a situation you encounter and appropriately modify your behavior. When you sense danger it actually pumps adrenaline into your system to give you the strength to do things your body would normally not be able to. On the same token, if you misinterpret a comment a friend said, you could feel you insecure, withdrawn or angry, which can lead you to act in unsensible ways.
Feeling hopeless and frustrated by the current situation can impact the way you act, and even affect the relationships in your life.
Perspective plays a very important role in how you acclimate to new situations. However, what if the situation was reversed––what if you didn’t want the situation to end? What if you were holding on to something that you never knew if you would get back? If you knew that in two days it would all be over, what are the things you would miss? Are there things you would hold on to? Would you begin to feel nostalgic or upset about losing this time? Will the world ever stop again to keep you and your loved ones home? Thinking about it in this perspective may enable you to think and act differently.
Knowing how powerful the mind is and how strong it can be enables us to use the strength of our brain to our advantage, to control it and not let it control us so that we have the strength necessary to get through these hard times.
We are living in very extreme and difficult situations. It is normal to feel overwhelmed and frustrated. It is even more difficult when there is no end in sight. By looking at the power of perspective, and the way the brain can give us the strength to do things we never thought possible, perhaps we can use this quarantine as a time to heal.
To learn more about Gali, go to www.GaliGoodman.com or call to set up a remote session at 201-870-0331
Gali earned a master’s from Columbia School of Social Work and a master’s from Bank Street College of Education. Currently, Gali has a private practice in Englewood where she treats families, individuals and couples. Additionally, Gali works for Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Clifton-Passaic and supports Project Sarah, a program that works with victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Gali also consults for schools where she focuses on guiding teachers and administrators on how to aid children in the classroom.
