Since the outbreak of the Novel 2019 Coronavirus, the psychological toll of Covid-19 has seen an increase in numbers. There has been an emotional health narrative across the world. Also, over the last couple of months, calls to suicide and mental health hot-lines have tripled.  Everyone had somehow anticipated the rise of these negative emotions. Talk of anxiety, self-pity, and loneliness from self-isolation.

However, in the middle of this chaos, things might not be all doom and gloom. Sometimes, natural disasters have a way of bringing forth the best in people. Human minds tend to go through what we call adversarial growth. That is the ability to not only overcome any crisis but actually come out of it as more reliable, wiser, and more resilient.

What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger, right? The fact that we have been in a terrible place, we develop a new and better appreciation for life. We strive to improve our relationships with others and focus on our personal growth. But that will work as long as society doesn’t pressure us to jump to the end. Where everyone expects we magically come out stronger and better. The most important thing is to appreciate gradual growth.

The Post-Traumatic Growth

Often after we go through stressful situations, our bodies and minds develop the ability to create new routines. That helps to potentially cope better with the situation. The hope for a better future and getting our lives back on track is what keeps us going. And that is what most people call resilience.

Resilience is always the most vital part of the post-traumatic growth. After such a traumatic occurrence, you not only find deeper psychological but also spiritual meaning to everything around your life. While it may take months to build resilience, post-traumatic growth can sometimes take years.

Spirituality is the backbone of flourishing post-pandemic. However, it’s essential to understand that spirituality doesn’t necessarily mean religion. Spirituality simply involves a perception that goes beyond the material world. And one of the most critical aspects of spirituality is gratitude.

The simple act of appreciation and identifying things that you are grateful for can help to reduce depression and anxiety over time. Also, radical acceptance and choosing to accept life on its own terms is another stronghold. Most people feel inherently vulnerable as during such a global pandemic; they have no idea what might happen next.

However, when we choose to accept life for what it has given us, we will be in a better position to focus on areas that we can impact. For instance, we can chose to focus on the novel opportunities the pandemic has created. New opportunities are plentiful in the medical research, business, international diplomacy, technology, and education.

To wrap it all up

As we look beyond the pandemic anxiety, we can focus on appreciating how we resolved different trials and tribulations along the way. Also, we create an understanding that opportunities only come when we accept, with our heart, the things we cannot change. Focusing on such positive facets of life during such trying times can significantly improve your mental health and quality of live overall. Acceptance and appreciation can also boost your overall peace of mind.

Written by Bilha Gitari

Edited by Tracie Stewart