When the pandemic hit, most of us realised the importance of unity and how one person’s actions can affect the fate of others. We fostered a shared identity. 

We knew to wear our masks for the protection of ourselves and those around us.

We knew that following the guidelines made by governments across the world, would mean we’d be free from crisis sooner rather than later.

We knew that helping a neighbour in need was the least we could do at a time like this.

During this time, we adopted the identity of people who wanted to see the world function again.

We had a shared vision of getting through it as best we can, so one day we could return to our friends, family and enjoy being in social circles once again.

We wanted to stop seeing the death toll rising and see the survival rates climb.

We did our best to resist the adverse effects of situational stressors.

Most people genuinely came together for the good of the future…

And now we need to do the same when it comes to stress.

See,

We’ve been in a stress pandemic long before Covid arrived.

The state of mental health across the globe has become a growing concern over the last decade.

Alongside this, stress has become one of the most reported medical conditions in history.

A study by you.gov in 2018 found that 74% of over 4,000 participants said they had felt so stressed that they’ve been overwhelmed or were unable to cope. (Ref 2)

With the current global pandemic and uncertain times around the world, the amount of people affected by these issues is only set to rise.

Now this isn’t all doom and gloom...

Thankfully, we’re starting to normalise discussions around stress, depression and anxiety, even though it used to be taboo.

Soon to be gone, are the days where anyone needs to suffer in silence, feeling lost and alone, as if they’re the only ones struggling.

Because we can do even better.

We can learn from the last couple of years...

There’s an old saying: ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ which in some cases is true.

When we talk about our stress, depression or anxiety it can lead to incredible solutions which leave us feeling lighter and free from burden – This is resourcefulness.

Yet in some cases it couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is… ‘a problem shared is a problem reinforced ’.

When we’re talking about our stress, depression or anxiety it’s often leading to even more turmoil.

This is happening because so many people are feeling stressed and venting to each other without a second thought.

This is creating a viscous loop as we’re compounding our own stress and we’re collecting other people’s anxieties and concerns too.

Have you ever been talking to a friend and putting the world to rights? Complaining about what is and how things should be? This is a classic example of us reinforcing each other’s issues because even though we may feel better in the moment, we’ve just proved ourselves right and added our friends beliefs and emotions into the mix to make the stressful charge even greater.

As a society, the majority are becoming so consumed by stress and lacking the ability to be empathetic and resourceful for others.

This isn’t anyone’s fault. It’s natural to vent amongst ourselves as we feel safety in numbers. In a weird way we do feel better in the short-term, however the relief doesn’t last.

It’s like sitting in a sinking ship with your friend discussing how upset you are about the fact that you’re sinking, instead of being resourceful and searching to plug the hole that’s causing you to sink in the first place.

When we look for the root of our stress instead of mindlessly expressing it, or even worse, burying it inside – we can learn to process it in a healthy way.

So we have a choice, to adopt a resourceful identity or a stressful identity?

Can we normalise a ‘resourceful identity’ as a society, in the same way we’ve normalised wearing masks and social distancing?

Can we agree to show up for ourselves and our neighbours with empathy and resourcefulness?

Can we choose to look for solutions instead of reinforcing problems?

The question is which will you choose?

Will you sit in the sinking ship and complain about it? Or will you plug the hole and sail smoothly to shore?

Let’s recognise the strong positive correlation between social identification and social support for each other. We’ve seen the significant role in identifying with fear or resourcefulness during the Covid-19 pandemic… and now we can adopt the same idea here.

The good news is – adopting a resourceful identity is easier than you might think.

A resourceful identity starts with self-awareness.

Self-awareness of your own stress and how you’re dealing with it is the key.

Because when you take care of yourself, you can show up with a resourceful identity for others with ease.

Here's the steps you need:

Now, you might be thinking:

“But I feel better after venting…”

Or

“It doesn’t matter how resourceful I am, my friends/family don’t understand... they’re always so negative…”

Or

Maybe you don’t know what to do or where to start when approaching stress and anxiety which makes you even more stressed.

If you resonate with any of these, please know these 3 things;

Click Here to take the Scorecard.

If you’re a human being who’s invested in living a happy and healthy future, for yourself and your loved ones…

Your real choice is to focus on either a stressful-identity or a resourceful-identity

Consider that a strong level of self-awareness when it comes to how you’re dealing with stress won’t just make you feel good, it will positively influence your friends, family and neighbours and might just help change the world.

Let us know your thoughts, would you rather live amongst a sea of people who are stressed or resourceful?

Until next time, 

Be Well, Mean Well, Make a Difference that Lasts,

Love Charlotte and Jonathan

References from Trusted Sources:

(Ref 1)* - https://ourworldindata.org/mental-health

(Ref 2)* - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/news/stressed-nation-74-uk-overwhelmed-or-unable-cope-some-point-past-year