Being Positive in an Unprecedented Time

 

Mr. Shane

 

Everyone has impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and “everyone” is inclusive of the global community. This isn’t to say all of the impacts are uniform or evenly distributed, as the Poet Damion Barr (2021) recently wrote – ‘we are all not in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm’.

 

As we feel the impact of COVID-19 fatigue, there is increasing acknowledgement of the impact on health and wellness of each other. Researchers suggest an effective way of positively impacting ourselves is through the simple act of giving to others.  Self-transcendent emotions, which include compassion and gratitude, have a positive physiological impact on us. In fact, giving to others stimulates the brain’s reward centre, and fills us with positive emotions. Studies have shown, thinking about what you are grateful for settles your physiological stress response.

 

The act of expressing gratitude also deepens your ability to feel genuine appreciation in many more contexts. Another positive effect of purposefully noticing and naming what you are grateful for, allows for more spontaneous moments of gratitude to be felt. You become more aware of the learning opportunities and possibilities in situations, and others around you.

 

We can build positive connections with people in many ways, but maybe the most effective way is through the simple act of telling, tell the people around you, they are appreciated. The message is being repeated in many different ways right now, but it is a message of great importance and one worth repeating. Especially during this period of being apart physically from many family, friends, co-workers, and schoolmates. It is important to keep the connections we do have to others, strong and together.