How do you cope with the new normal?

There are times of stress in life when we really do not know what we need or want. So, I reached out to people I knew that had chronic conditions and asked what is it that helps you as you struggle with your condition and the new normal. Their responses were uplifting. 

I appreciate it when my husband offers to help me when he can see I am struggling. He is my best friend that offers me a shoulder to lean on when I’m feeling down.

My cure for getting out of my own head is doing one nice thing for someone else each day. Nothing big, it might be as simple as holding a door for someone or driving friendly and thinking of other drivers. Once I got in the habit of doing random acts of kindness it’s amazing how it keeps your mind in a positive mental state. It seems the more you give away the more you get back.

Some of us are just not good at asking for help. It does give a good feeling when we do things for others, sometimes it's just sitting and being there. If a name comes to mind, I just pick up the phone and call to say high. A friend doesn't need to solve anything just to be there.

With COVID, it's difficult to give hugs or smiling faces to lift their spirits, I found that the best solution for me is to just listen or sometimes I just share a funny story or incident.

My husband has finally learned to just listen if I choose to share where my thoughts are. I also have 2 good friends and a sister who I share with and try to call them if I sense they are feeling low. We just need to let people know we care and that it is OK to be down occasionally.

I wish being just polite, just polite was practiced by more people. I am shy and being shy some people think I am being a snob. I am not, so just be an ear, a listening ear, nobody actually walks the walk-in the life of another. Sometimes just listening to others helps

I have dealt with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks all my life, so I tried to explain to people what is going on with me, usually, it is accepted, but other times not so much. The hardest thing...is I understand why some people just don’t get it.