They say that one death is a tragedy. But a million deaths is a statistic. Right now, the coronavirus leaves us hovering in the no man’s land of emotionally numbed shock and disbelief. No one is more than two degrees of separation between themselves and someone who has been taken by COVID. In some way, we are all left to deal with the fall out.
Photo by Jakayla Toney on Unsplash
Making matters worse is the fact that it is not done. According to every expert in the field, things are going to get worse before they get better. More people will die on a daily basis even as effective vaccines are being injected into arms. Like zombies, we are moving from tragedy to tragedy with no chance to catch our breath. It is exhausting.
It does not help to compare the virus to 911. There is no enemy to attack. There can be no easy closure. We have no way to enact justice or revenge. We can’t even settle for raging against the machine because there is no machine. In one form or another, we are all having to cope with loss. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, loss of an important relationship, loss of a job, or loss of life security, we are reeling from loss. If we don’t move on, we will also mourn the loss of our future prospects. Remaining in that state of loss is not an option. Moving on is hard. Start here:
Open for Business
Walk down any boulevard and you will see far more “closed” signs than you would have ever thought possible. You might be incapable of directly fighting against the virus. But you can fight against being closed for business. It is time we all rediscover that “open for business” mentality that made us successful in the first place.
That doesn’t mean defying common laws and common sense. It means that we find a way to be productive and profitable within the current constraints. If your shop at the local mall has to stay closed, open an online store and get back to work. If you can’t have a kiosk inside the mall, set up an outside kiosk with one of those professional customizable canopies from Instent Industries.
The takeaway is that you are not without options. You will have to pivot. But you don’t have to remain out of commission. Even if your storefront is closed, you, as a person, should always be open for business. Being open is not a sign. It is a mindset.
Your Best Self
Early in the pandemic, there were high-profile people who sacrificed their chance to be on a ventilator so that someone else could live. Those who made that sacrifice did so that others would have the chance to live their best life and be their best self. The people who have been taken by this disease would have wanted you to live and be your best self. Those of us who survive owe it to those who didn’t to be our best selves.
This is exactly how exercise helps you cope with grief. You are not doing it just to fight boredom. You are doing it to fight COVID. This bears repeating: Exercise helps you fight COVID.
You do not respect the hundreds of thousands who lost the battle by surrendering to apathy. Vow to eat better and move more. Do whatever it takes to be the best possible version of yourself. That is how you recover from loss.
A Helping Hand
When we are down, we need a helping hand to get back up. You likely know someone else who has suffered loss. They also need a helping hand. If you want to move on from your loss, be the helping hand that lifts someone else from their pit of despair. Don’t merely seek your recovery. Rather, become a part of the cycle of recovery.
Sometimes, it takes a shared tragedy to get us all in touch with our shared humanity. This is an opportunity to reach across the artificial aisles we have constructed and share in humanity’s recovery by renewing our mindset of being open for business, being the best version of ourselves, and being the helping hand for others that perpetuates the cycle of recovery.
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