Surviving this covid-19 lockdown
The second lockdown in Melbourne has a discernably different feel to it than the first. Perhaps this is because the first lockdown was countrywide. Therefore, there was a sense of “we’re all in this together.” Now Victoria is the only state in lockdown and Melbourne in is stage 4 lockdown. While most of us know this second lockdown is important to stem the spread of the virus, it is hard work emotionally.
How can we cultivate emotional resilience at this time? Two helpful practices are:
Emotional honesty
Resource anchors (from Tara Brach in her book Radical Compassion)
Emotional honesty
Practicing emotional honesty enables us to recognize what we are feeling in the present moment, without feeding, or wallowing in the felt experience through mental storylines. In the words of Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron, we “drop the storyline and [as far as we are able] tenderly lean in towards” our felt experience. Once we get in touch with our felt experience, we gently breath through it without the desire to deny/resist/change the experience. We simply let the felt experience be as it is, without feeding it with mental storylines. Such a practice enables the pressure of the felt experience to dissipate somewhat.
Resource anchors
Resource anchors sustain us during those times when we feel emotionally exhausted or overwhelmed. According to Tara Brach a resource anchor could be: “bringing to mind a trusted family member, or friend or spiritual figure who evokes a sense kindness; literally [or imaginatively] leaning against a tree; holding a rock.” Or a resource anchor could be a song; or an image. According to Brach, resource anchors involve “mentally evoking a person, place, activity, or memory” and as “we offer our full attention to the positive state they awaken . . . we are nurturing a tender presence which can hold our lives.”
May our lives be held by a tender presence during this emotionally wearing lockdown.
