Discomfort, Grief, Or Both?

I was doing my daily scroll through the news the other day, as many of you are accustomed to doing as well, and there was an article that caught my attention, because of the word 'grief'. It spoke to me.

The word 'grief', I learned in the article, likely caused me to pause because it put a name to the myriad of feelings I have been feeling lately. Maybe you've been feeling this way too. Grief around the lack of normalcy in the world today. Anxiety around the economy. Fear around the virus itself and getting sick. I was reassured to know that the feelings were normal, and almost relieved to be able to put a name to it. 

In talking with Trent Tangen, HealthCheck360's Population Health Management leader and my coach on all things health and well-being, about the article, I was reminded about the things that HealthCheck360 already has in place to help support me and our participants who are feeling the same way. I've summarized them for us all here. 

1. Stress Reducing Tools
   From the Health Coaching webinar coming up on Wednesday about stress (thank you in advance, Shelby!), to Trent's guided meditations, to an entire thread of topics on our blog, there are tips at the ready when needed. 
2. Support
   Tools like myHealthCheck360 help me track how I'm feeling from day-to-day, and what actions I'm taking for my health, like getting outside to exercise or eating certain foods, help improve my overall mental well-being.
   
   The team of HealthCheck360 health coaches are always willing to bounce ideas around and offer guidance when I'm not sure what to do next or where to turn.
3. Camaraderie
   Connecting with co-workers online is one of the only options we have right now, but it can be more than just Zoom meetings. myHealthCheck360 allows users to set-up their own well-being challenges, helping us connect on a new level. Set-up a walking challenge with a few friends for some motivation to get a few steps in...and some friendly smack-talk. 
4. COVID-19 Resources
   The coronavirus threat is new for all of us. That's why HealthCheck360 set-up a COVID-19 resource center to give you tips to prevent you from getting sick, what to do if you or a family member suspects you've contracted the virus, and ways to generally stay healthy, especially during the social (we prefer the word safety) distancing. 

These are crazy times for all of us, but I take a bit of comfort in knowing that we can support each other through this, and even though it might not feel like it now, this will pass. If you're interested in reading the article that inspired this post, check it out on HBR.org here.

If there is anything that you've been doing or trying that has helped you through the emotions you've been feeling, share them in the comments below. Otherwise, we'll see you on Wednesday's webinar.