Recently I met Matthew, an 8-year old boy who, while listening to a conversation about Coronavirus, started to cry. "What's wrong, Matthew?" his father asked. He tried to respond for a while but eventually just said "Everything". He was right. Everything was wrong. Everything has changed. And it has changed so fast. There is too much emotion, pressure, stress, uncertainty. Matthew, as a child, didn't know what it was he felt. He is not aware of his feelings and emotions yet. We are a little bit older and we are able to name our emotions and we'll try to do it here.

But in the period of Coronavirus it's not easy. If you feel like a bubble loaded with emotions ready to explode, it's normal. This is a period of fundamental changes,  when our daily routine has been violated, our mode of attending school has changed rapidly, we've stopped meeting friends, going to the gym or restaurant and now we're spending everyday sitting at home. From one day to another our whole life needed to be changed. Changing our habits provokes a lot of emotional responses in us. How can we deal with it? The first step is just to realize it's normal. Try to accept all the emotions that arise within you. It's good that they emerge. Don't judge yourself. It means you're healthy and you’re reacting normally.

It might be difficult though to face your emotions. It's much easier to be busy all the time. It's difficult to stop and let everything inside you come out. If you feel a resistance to stop, don't worry, it's normal. You need some time to get used to the new situation. Try to take small steps. The first would be: accept everything that is happening inside you now. Because it's normal.

You can do this exercise using a computer, tablet or phone. You need a peaceful place and at least 15 minutes. After the Exercise there will be a kind of anonymous sharing to get inspired by others. At the beginning:
Have a seat in a peaceful place...
Take a few deep breaths...
Say "yes" to everything that comes from within you...

Artur Pruś SJ (arczi@jesuits.net)