Have you noticed that people are getting more and more angry as this pandemic goes on and on? People are angry at the economic situation. People are very angry at all of the ways their lives have radically changed. People are angry at having to follow restrictive rules on where they can go and what they can do. And then they are angry at the restrictive rules that they must follow where they actually can go and do something like shopping.
Is it the best use of your anger to yell at a store manager or store workers about not being allowed to enter a store without wearing a mask and staying 6 feet distant from other people? Is it a good use of anger to scream at your state or county health departments about their shelter-in-place orders? Does that really serve you well?
I get it. All of the changes and rules remind us that there is a pandemic and that we are all at risk. That makes us scared. Fear easily turns into anger. The alternative is becoming depressed. Using your anger in this situation can help you feel like you are reclaiming some control over your life so you can ignore the reality that this situation is beyond your control and feel somewhat safe again.
The trouble with using your anger in this way is that it won't help you and others survive this pandemic. It may be counter-productive. What you need to consider is that you could be using your anger as energy to do what you need to do to survive this pandemic and help others to survive.
Some ideas include volunteering at a food bank, donating money or food to organizations that help others with their economic problems, ensuring that frontline workers have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure that they don't get sick so they can take care of those that get sick, and many other actions you can take to channel your anger in ways that increase the probability of surviving.
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