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As of April 11, 2020, more than 500,000 of our friends, family, and coworkers have been diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus. Sadly, just under 19,000 of them have lost their lives. If there is any good news with this pandemic, it is in the 27,000 people who have recovered fully. The impact of the Covid-19 virus on our health and well being is shocking and startling.
While the numbers of people impacted by the Covid-19 virus are staggering, they don’t fully tell the story of the impact on other aspects of their lives. As of April 10, 2020, the number of Americans without a job increased to 17 million.
People are losing their jobs at an alarming rate because the Covid-19 virus has disrupted nearly every aspect of everyday life for millions of Americans. The orders to keep social and physical distance have caused a massive change in how people conduct business.
Businesses were hit overnight with a need to pivot and change on a dime in order to survive. The economic impact of the Covid-19 virus was felt almost immediately when businesses had to furlough, lay off, and terminate parts or whole workforces.
The Covid-19 virus has expanded beyond its original devastating impact on people’s health and well-being, to now negatively impacting their money, mindset, and mental health. Millions of people are living with the stress and uncertainty of their health and livelihood.
Many of the millions of people who are now jobless likely did not receive a severance package and stopped being paid immediately when they last their jobs. This combined with the fact that there are millions of American who live paycheck to paycheck has set up the perfect storm.
When people do not have the money needed to pay for their everyday necessities; like food and shelter, they might be thrown into a panic. In that heightened state of fear, they have to figure out how to provide for their families.
People are turning to solutions that were unimaginable just a month ago. Food banks across the USA are reporting that, with the current demand for assistance, they will run out of food and resources in as little as 60 days.
In addition to solving the challenges of putting food on the table, people have to come up with a way to keep a roof over that table for their family. Many people are unable to pay their rent or mortgage, which threatens to create a whole new population of homeless people in the USA.
People who are experiencing this pandemic’s impact on their health and financial status, and saying that they are fine might very well not be fine. In fact, the impact of the ongoing and relentless stress will create some mental health challenges for many people.
PTSD and depression diagnoses have been increasing for many years as a result of wars, violence, and abuse. The number of people with some form of mental health will only skyrocket in this environment. People who might not have ever experienced an anxiety attack may very well find themselves panicked and in need of professional support. Suicide rates might very well increase with so many people struggling with their current circumstances.
People who have a positive mindset are shown to have a better chance of surviving the most challenging times in their lives. There are studies that show that patients with life-threatening diseases are able to recover with the support of a positive mindset.
In the current situation, with the majority of the population being negatively impacted by the Covid-19 virus, it is extraordinarily difficult for people to maintain a centered and grounded mindset.
The benefits of a positive mindset in times of turbulent challenges and changes, cannot be underestimated. Many people have had some of the most horrific and heinous experiences in their lives, only to survive them through their mindset practices. Withstanding the avalanche of negativity can seem impossible without a stable mindset.
While people cannot control the Covid-19 virus, they can control the spread of it by following the orders and guidance that are being shared by the government officials and medical professionals. The ability to follow simple directions has the potential to save millions of people from being diagnosed with the Covid-19.
People who were successful in their careers and in providing for their families are now faced with finding solutions to problems that they never thought they would experience. The frustrations associated with the negative impact of the Covid-19 virus, are only exacerbated by the treat of resources being depleted.
Now is the time for people to rally around the battle cry, we are in this together. Take those words and turn them into actions. Find ways to support others in new ways.
Share a cup of sugar with a neighbor, drop off a bag of groceries at a food pantry, call a friend, write a letter to a loved one, share from your excess, or comfort someone who is in need of reassurance that this will end and life will go on in a new way.
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Photo courtesy iStock.