Excited about the Pandemic

By TMoM Team Member Dennette Bailey

The recent Corona Virus pandemic has caused people to experience various emotions including anxiety, fear, stress and maybe even a bit of depression. However, for me the pandemic has caused tremendous excitement.

As soon as I heard about the virus I made a list of important things to buy and I called my friends and family and told them how important it was to stock up on some important items. Most of them thought I was a bit coo coo and at one time I started to wonder if I might be losing it as well. It was a high for me really, making a list and remaking and reevaluating my list. In the end I was quite satisfied with myself as I avoided all the long lines and I am confident I have enough toilet paper. By the time the pandemic became a serious issue I had friends texting me asking me to resend that list I sent weeks ago. I happily sent it but that too excited me. I have resolved though, that being excited about being prepared is certainly more useful to me than being depressed or having anxiety about the pandemic.

I have noticed also how this need for preparation has passed down to my daughter. She too is obsessed with being prepared and as a result she is way ahead on her new online learning. I am currently in the process of developing a schedule for her to try to ensure she is not experiencing too much anxiety.

Whatever an individual is going through right now or however one is coping with this pandemic, we all might need to consider that we have to be able to accept whatever our new normal is for however long it must last. Developing a way to cope with our feelings will be what helps to get us through these times.  As a preschool teacher I am very familiar with children’s needs to feel structure and routine and I believe that even as adults we also instinctively crave this structure and routine to aid in our feelings of stability. Developing a method to add some type of structure to our daily life as a coping mechanism can give our brain something to trust in that will ease our anxieties. Whether that be having coffee or tea every day at the same time or going for a walk in the backyard we should do it. For me, in addition to prayer, it is being prepared, making list, and planning. And I think that is no more coo coo than the person that insist on getting up at the same time every day or making sure they eat breakfast each day.

In case you are curious (I think you are) here is my preparation list:

~ Alcohol
~ Masks
~ Hydrogen peroxide
~ Cotton balls
~ Toilet paper
~ Baby wipes
~ Vaseline
~ Canned vegetables (sweet potatoes)
~ Canned fruit
~ Olive oil
~ Peanut butter
~ Eggs
~ Almond milk
~ Pecans
~ Gatorade
~ Elderberry
~ Acetaminophen/cough syrup
~ Green tea
~ Bread
~ Flour
~ Butter
~ First Aid Kit
~ Hand Sanitizer
~ Toothpaste
~ Soap
~ Sanitary products (female)
~ Library books

How have you been preparing? What’s on your list?

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