Do you feel at a loss, robbed of life as it was before COVID invaded our world? Some are affected more than others in one way or another such as due to illness, financially, long term care concerns or/and job loss. To face the challenge, you can obtain an empowering means to cope by applying The 3-A Coping Framework.
An underlying assumption in applying the 3-A Coping Framework components of Acknowledge, Assess, Assist is that wherever there is adversity, there is loss. You can self monitor with awareness by acknowledging the loss - and often there is more than one loss - associated to the circumstance you are dealing with - and there is often more than one circumstance. For instance, you may presently be affected caregiving a parent with moderate stage Alzheimer's while dealing with COVID. The losses may include in addition to the loss of the way it was prior to the pandemic, loss of control caring for a chronically ill family member.
Have you acknowledged and assessed how you are coping with COVID plus the other challenging circumstances in your life? It is important to assess if your coping strategies are assisting. Also, assess if there is a little voice inside of you that is sabotaging your ability to face the challenges you face as demonstrated by the following parody of words (adapted from Dr. Seuss's beloved book Green Eggs and Ham)
I can not cope, would not cope, on a boat. I can not, will not, with a goat. I can not cope in the rain. I can not, will not on a train. I can not cope here or there. I can not ANYWHERE!
The first step to coping through losses from adversity is to assist yourself by assessing for your conscious intention to cope well. Taking this first step of conscious intention involves self monitoring with self awareness applying the 3-A Coping Framework. With conscious intention to cope, you are equipped positively to assist yourself with assist strategies, changing the parody of words that the voice inside your head is saying to:
I CAN cope, would cope, on a boat. I CAN, will, with a goat. I CAN cope in the rain. I CAN, will on a train. I CAN cope here or there. I CAN ANYWHERE!
Positivity Assists to make coping easier…. Acknowledge and Assess it for yourself…
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