Finding Joy During the Pandemic
The circumstances we find ourselves in are unprecedented. We’re dealing with a worldwide pandemic and deep social and political divisions that can leave folks feeling negative, pessimistic, and discouraged. Those feelings prevent us from coping effectively, change how we navigate our relationships, and can impact our health and overall well-being. So, what can we do to change that? As it turns out … quite a bit.
- First, get clear on what you can and can’t control, and focus on what you can change. Let go of what you can’t control.
- Practice acceptance. That doesn’t mean surrendering to or liking the current state of things — it means acknowledging and recognizing the current situation and what it requires, instead of struggling with denial or minimization.
- Mindfully and intentionally cultivate joy in your life every single day. Bring in safe time with people, recreation, gardening, hobbies, art, and music.
- Serve others. Seeing how your effort improves someone else’s life will boost your mood and outlook. It makes a difference.
- Separate the person from the behavior. Give people a chance to learn and grow through crucial conversations.
- Find love. Think about what it means to “Love thy neighbor as thy self.” Think about what you could learn and accomplish.
- Reframe struggles, barriers, and disappointments as challenges that will give you opportunities to stretch and grow. When your attitude changes, so will your actions.
- Start your day with meditation or prayer. Include some stretching and deep breathing. In those moments of gratitude and contemplation, decide how you want to approach the day ahead.
Practice these tools daily and make note of the changes in your mood, outlook, and behavior toward others.
If you need help with this process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to NASA Johnson Space Center’s Employee Assistance Program at 281-483-6130 or jsc-employeeassistanceprogram@mail.nasa.gov.
Seek joy just as the sunflower seeks to bask in the rays of the sun.
