07 May Coping with Coronavirus stress

Being grateful is the most powerful way to boost the psychological immune system especially during the uncertainty created by the Coronavirus.

Elizabeth Bernstein, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, has written a very poignant article on the benefits of gratitude to one’s mental health.

In her article, she writes about David Gardner a former pro basketball player and owner of a brandishing company in Chicago. she writes, “When Mr. Gardner starts to feel frustrated or annoyed these days that he can’t meet with his employees in person, take a trip, or see a friend he interrupts his thoughts with a question-what is the gift in this situation? Focusing on the positive helps him absorb the negative.”

Jacqueline Sterling, a psychologist at McClean Hospital in Cambridge, Mass. says, “Our psychological immune system is like a cellphone battery we drain it more quickly in a crisis because we use it more, it’s more important to continue to recharge it.”

During this period, when so many things feel beyond one’s control, gratitude allows for a change in mindset.

Spending time in nature, listening to relaxing music, and paying attention to your surroundings are examples of ways to change mindset and focus on the positive.