Happy New Year everyone, just please keep your distance.
We initially never imagined it would last this long. Nearly 10 months have passed since the coronavirus pandemic placed limits on just about every aspect of life in New Jersey.
“We are all worn down. It’s hard to maintain that can-do attitude,” said Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a clinical psychologist and author.
Many schools are still not offering in-person instruction, including nine of the state’s 10 largest districts. Restaurants throughout the state are facing a struggle for survival, with dozens having already closed up for good. Popular public events, such as New Year’s Day polar plunges, are still being canceled or turned into virtual events.
That’s in addition to a holiday season unlike any other, starting with Thanksgiving, in which many stayed home.
COVID-19 is continuing to spread, despite the extensive efforts aimed at halting its progression in New Jersey. Yet we’re maintaining our resiliency in New Jersey, even in places that have been especially hard-hit by coronavirus.
In Paterson, which us among the nation’s most densely populated large cities, Mayor Andre Sayegh touted on Dec. 21 a steep decline in daily coronavirus cases — from 323 on Dec. 4 to 72. He credited the city’s contract tracing program and constant focus on precautions, from frequent hand-washing to wearing masks.
“Hope is on the horizon. We’re testing, we’re tracing, and now in earnest, we’re going to start inoculating,” said Sayegh, who tested positive for COVID-19 in April.
Kennedy-Moore said a major source of stress remains disagreements among family and friends on coronavirus precautions, especially on masks. Families keeping their children at home, for example, might be resentful of others allowing sleepovers because their children end up feeling left out, she said.
“It’s important to recognize that smart, caring people can have very different perspectives on this. We are all responsible for our families and ourselves. We don’t have to necessarily insist that all of our family members agree with us,” said Kennedy-Moore, co-author of an ebook on how children can maintain friendships from a distance.
“You can never go wrong by reaching first for empathy,” she added.
Becky Carlson has a job where empathy is indispensable. She is the executive director for the Center for Prevention and Counseling in Newton.
“We’re all struggling, but if you’re somebody that has a substance abuse disorder, the stress is ten-fold,” Carlson said.
Her organization continues to offer programs, but other than for emergencies and new clients has been all virtual since March.
This worries her, even as she champions the ongoing efforts of her recovery coaches.
“If you’re not going to meetings you’ve always gone to, where you see people, connect with people — losing that connection for people to talk to on a regular basis, that’s really hard for people,” Carlson said.
“There is hope. Recovery is real,” she said.
Staying upbeat during winter can be a challenge under normal circumstances.
Kennedy-Moore said “physical activity and social contact” are helpful winter strategies that, due to the pandemic, are “harder to manage right now.”
Scott Mingay of Madison is far beyond a regular athlete — he’s training for the Ironman World Championships in October — but he offered advice accessible for all.
Working from home, Mingay and has discovered that going for a run around lunchtime, something that never was an option in the office, makes a big difference.
“There’s not really like that separation of home and work. Going out for a run at lunchtime helps to reset, clear the head,” Mingay said.
Brooke Truong, a married mother of two young boys from Collingswood, has focused on identifying and maximizing the special moments.
She bought a chess set for Christmas for her older son, who is 6, and holds dance parties for her 3-year via Koo Koo Kanga Roo videos.
She’ll let the kids stay up later than she might have, before the pandemic, for a movie night or some other activity.
“You just have to make the best of the situation,” she said, while acknowledging disappointment at her younger son missing his preschool year.
“I definitely appreciate that they have adapted to the situation. I think because they’re so young, they don’t have the knowledge adults have, to know what they’re missing.”
Kennedy-Moore said she would encourage everyone to appreciate the simple pleasures.
She recently attended a friend’s birthday party on Zoom. The woman’s husband had everyone come up with one word to describe her friend. She came up with “tender-hearted.”
“It was a blast,” she said.
A note of caution: Even when the pandemic finally ends, it won’t truly be over.
Kennedy-Moore said that a range of problems — such as separation anxiety, social anxiety and generalized anxiety — likely will need to be confronted.
“It’s going to take us a while to reset,” she said.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
The Link LonkDecember 30, 2020 at 12:06AM
https://www.nj.com/news/2020/12/sheltering-at-home-at-the-start-of-the-pandemic-was-hard-but-this-winter-could-be-tougher.html
Sheltering at home at the start of the pandemic was hard. But this winter could be tougher. - NJ.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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