I recently shared a post from The Samaritans on Facebook. It talked about the rise in suicides during the time of COVID-19 and I was really struck by the rise in suicides. My heart aches with sadness as I consider how difficult life can be for many of us.
I’ve never considered suicide, but I have lived on the edges of my coping levels and I know what it’s like to just get through each day: as a child and teenager I lived with the daily pain and trauma of abuse. As an adult I’ve experienced depth of loss and the emotional pain that can result from loss. Life can be hard to cope with sometimes. It was actually during such a time that I began exploring finding joy despite hardships. And it has been a lifesaver for me.
On their website The Samaritans list the following signs of struggling to cope:
- Lacking energy or feeling tired
- Feeling exhausted all the time
- Experiencing ‘brain fog’, find it hard to think clearly
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Feeling restless and agitated
- Feeling tearful, wanting to cry all the time
- Not wanting to talk to or be with people
- Not wanting to do things you usually enjoy
- Using alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings
- Finding it hard to cope with everyday things and tasks
- Experiencing ‘burn out’
If you are experiencing a number of these you might consider seeking out support: through friends, family, of therapeutic intervention (as a bloke I found counselling a hard step to take, but the value of it has been priceless).
You could also try ‘finding joy’ everyday – where are the small moments that might lift your spirit and feed your soul?
Wherever you are – I trust you will make the right decisions to build your resilience, heal wounds, and enjoy the journey 👣
Stuart Writing 