Coping With Difficult Times Archives - Life and Relationships 101

Choose A Psychotherapist That Fits You! The How-To!

Trying to choose a psychotherapist that fits you can feel challenging, but that feeling is normal. Beginning psychotherapy, if you’ve never done that before, can also be a bit daunting. First of all, you don’t know what it’s going to be like. You don’t know if it will work for you or if you feel it’s a good match with the therapist. What if you find out you’ve been doing things the hard way or ineffectively? You are in good company if this rings a bell for you. No worries. Here are some tips for finding the right therapist. I…

Okay to Ask if Someone Has Been Vaccinated for Covid-19?

The short answer is “YES”. Here’s why: Wikipedia released statistics on May 5, 2021 prior to posting this article: 577 thousand people have died from Covid-19 just in the United States. 32.5 million cases have been reported in the United States alone. 154 Million cases reported in the World. Of those Covid-19 cases world-wide, 3.22 million people died so far. So you certainly have the right to be concerned and ask someone if they have been vaccinated. However, people also have the right to decline to answer that question, at least in the United States. Here, they have the right…

What Have You Learned About Yourself During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

For many people, the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it many challenges. But with those challenges comes a great opportunity to have learned about yourself. For example, how you deal with the unknown or that you didn’t have your group of friends around you? Did you build new trust in your coping abilities? Do you recognize what you could have done differently? If you live with a partner, what have you both learned about your relationship? Let’s take a look at some of the positive things that may have come out of the pandemic. How Did You Deal With Being…

Self-Blame is Toxic and Unhelpful…But It’s Fixable!

We all experience “self-blaming” at times. But because self-blame is toxic, it means we are devaluing ourselves and denying the humanness in us all. I am well versed in this subject because even though I am a trained and licensed psychotherapist, I will still do this from time to time. When I experience self-blame, I know this is coming from the little girl inside that didn’t know any better in growing up. I never understood that we are all human and infallible. We all make mistakes along the way in life. Here is how easily we pick up this damaging…

Dealing With A COVID-19 Thanksgiving – How To Make It Work

This Thanksgiving holiday is like no other, at least not in most people’s generation. But you can still make this COVID-19 Thanksgiving Holiday work for you. It won’t always be this way. Eventually, we will return to our more normal life again. It’s really important to grab hold of the reality of this situation but to still find a way to make it better for you. It’s about accepting “what is” our current reality. The unknown can be scary because we don’t know what the outcome will be. We don’t know how to stop an illness we are experiencing for…

Depression and Surviving the Unknown With Covid-19 Pandemic

The Great Depression and Stock Market Crash of 1929, the World Wars, and the Cuban Crisis all had “the unknown” in common. Depression and surviving the “unknown” is what we are all experiencing currently. How do we know we will be “OK” in the end? Even though we are hearing great possibilities of new drugs for Covid-19, no one knows how well they will be effective, if at all. Who will get Covid-19? How is it truly transmitted from one person to another? Some people are wearing masks as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Yet others are…

Feeling Alone, Isolated, or Invisible? Here’s What You Can Do Today!

Covid-19 pandemic has set a new social experience for most people. Feeling alone, isolated, or invisible are all normal for this time in our lives. Remember, there was no dress rehearsal for Covid-19. It’s an abnormal situation in our current lives. Many people on their own are feeling alone but are uncomfortable reaching out to others, or they choose instead to isolate even more and just “go inside” themselves. And some people choose to override possible contamination from Covid-19 and seek company anyway. Some create “safe” contact, and others may choose to override the recommendations for social distancing with friends.…

What Did You Learn About Yourself from COVID-19?

You have a perfect opportunity at your feet. Whenever life circumstances present themselves, you often learn about yourself and how you operate in different situations. COVID-19 is a great example. As our life goes on, we often take for granted our routine, friends, work, and often even our romantic relationships. It becomes automatic, and we don’t think about it much. That’s normal. But when there is a change in our circumstances, such as COVID-19, things that were “normal” for us can easily change. Sometimes the change involves loss. However, change also comes an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and…

Mother’s Day is Not the Same for Everyone: The Good, The Bad and the Sad

Mother’s Day is consistently the second Sunday in May. However, Mother’s Day is not always the same for everyone. For some, it means a happy and festive family gathering. For others, it may signify haunting childhood memories. And still, for others, it may be filled with sadness, loss, and regret. There is no “one size fits all” or “correct ” way to experience Mother’s Day each year. However, you would never know this from the retail stores’ point of view. For them, it’s advertising “finding the perfect gift for Mom,” or flooding the stores with displays of candy and flowers,…

Creating a Healthy Balance in Your Life and Dealing With the Unknown

Creating a healthy balance in your life is essential for good health, especially in difficult times. There are all kinds of crises… loss of employment, dealing with an illness of yours or a family member, financial struggles, loss of a relationship, etc. Having useful resources available, and using them is significant at those times, like now. By resources, I mean links to access helpful assistance or articles on coping and finding appropriate links for your particular needs. In this article, I am covering various online sites and activities to do while dealing with the current crisis. Also, I will be…

Category: Coping With Difficult Times