Coping with Pandemic Whiplash
The year 2021 was a roller coaster ride. Instead of being the year the pandemic fizzled out, it was a year of "the emotional whiplash" that we continue to experience. This whiplash is causing people to feel a variety of emotions: disappointment, uncertainty, anxiety, anger and frustration.
The past year has been grueling for millions of Americans. We have not even begun to reckon with the massive, individual and collective trauma that this pandemic has wrought. It will take years, lifetimes, maybe even generations to process. The surge of COVID cases is stressful. Anxieties resulting from an overwhelmed health care system have returned, bringing uncertainty with them. The loss of hope and the fear of being isolated again is causing much distress.
The National Center for Health Statistics and the Census Bureau have monitored the nation’s mental health throughout the pandemic and they report that anxiety is increasing. People naturally want predictability and control. It can be taxing to repeatedly expect things to go one way, only to have them go another. This sort of mindset can be exhausting to constantly pivot between fear and relief.
These highs and lows between periods of fear and calm are emblematic of long-term, ongoing trauma. During stressful or traumatic experiences, our bodies release the stress hormone cortisol and we become hyper-aroused. But when the stressor is removed, we should recover and move on but with emotional whiplash, this cycle taxes the stress system and eventually burns out. That can cause some people to become even more hyper-reactive to stressful or traumatic events and others to feel numb, withdrawn and disconnected.
When that happens over and over, people become exhausted and worn out and less able to mount an appropriate response when there is a real, actual threat to their safety or well-being. This can also lead to physical symptoms like headaches, decreased energy, chronic pain and digestive issues.
In order to cope with pandemic whiplash, first give yourself credit for all the uncertainty you have been able to handle. Next, accept what you cannot control, it is helpful to distinguish what is beyond your control (COVID) and what is within your control (risk mitigation). The more you can lean into uncertainty and tolerate it, the less disappointment and stress you will feel when things do not go the way you expect.
There is no concrete end to the pandemic on the horizon and our mental health requires as much care as our physical health. Be intentional about how you consume information, able to make safe decisions but not overwhelmed. Finally, if you are suffering, reach out. This is an unusual time and there are many tools and resources available that can help you better cope with riding the waves of fear and relief.
Here are today’s Wellness Wednesday Program reading resources:
This Is Your Body On Pandemic ‘Whiplash,’ The Huffington Post, Julia Ries,
How to Deal with Renewed COVID Anxiety, All Things Considered, NPR, August 14, 2021, Ari Shapiro, Courtney Dorning,
Delta Whiplash: How the New Surge Is Affecting Mental Health, Webmd, Debbie Koenig,
Pandemic Whiplash: Finding Resilience in Today’s Chaos, Psychology Today, Reviewed by Ekua Hagan,
