It’s Okay to Feel Anxious, Angry, and Even Hopeful (just not Apathetic)
With the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s definitely normal to have a whole heap of emotions running through you.
The pandemic has changed our lives forever. Even if you haven’t contracted COVID-19, it’s impacted your life somehow. You may have lost a loved one or know someone who has lost someone. You may have lost a job. Many of us have lost time with our family and friends. It’s not over yet; we are all still finding our way through this.
If you’re anxious about how everything is going, I want you to know that it’s okay to feel that way. Even though more businesses are physically opening up (not just online) and schools are planning to physically reopen, we are still in a pandemic. It’s okay to feel less secure than you did before. It’s perfectly normal to feel some degree of anxiety in trying to return to pre-pandemic life.
It’s also okay to be angry. The pandemic didn’t need to be this bad. How you feel is how people tend to feel when tragedy happens.
During this time, if you feel a little bit of hope, that’s okay too. It’s normal for people to try to look at the bright side of tragic situations. It may be your way of coping with the stress of living in a pandemic. Just because you’re being hopeful doesn’t automatically make you an insensitive person; it may mean that you’re trying to be a guiding light for others (and yourself).
It’s okay to feel all these different emotions, but I must tell you, it’s not okay to be apathetic. Being apathetic means that you don’t care or don’t care enough. Being apathetic means that you’ve been beaten down so much that you don't even want to think about trying. It means that you’re numb to the pain of the world and have lost your humanity. Our capacity to care for each other is what will help us rise above the despair we’ve been feeling.
Roderick Conwi writes about personal and professional development at Nourishment Notes. He is also the author of The Procrastinator's Quick Guide To Getting It Done. To get powerful insights to enhance your day, join his FREE newsletter.
